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MEMOIR 



ELLEN MAY WOODWAED. 



REV. GEO. D. MILES, A.M., 

EECTOR OF ST. STEPHEN'S CHUKCH, WIIKES-B AKEE, PA. 



PHILADELPHIA: 

LINDSAY AND BLAKISTON. 

1850. 

-23 






Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1850, 

BY LINDSAY AND BLAKISTON, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Eastern District of 
Pennsylvania. 



PHILADELPHIA: 
C. SHERMAN, PRINTER. 



TO THE 

CHILDREN OF ST. STEPHEN'S SUNDAY SCHOOL, 

WILKES- BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA, 

THIS LITTLE NARRATIVE 

OF ONE OF THEIR OWN NUMBER, 

TAKEN FROM AMONG THE3I BY A SUDDEN DEATH, 

AND TRANSFERRED 

TO HER HOME IN HEAVEN, IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED 

BY THEIR FRIEND AND PASTOR. 



INTRODUCTION. 



On Saturday morning, January 19 th, 1850, 
an accident occurred in the vicinity of Wilkes- 
barre, Pennsylvania, which filled the whole com- 
munity with the deepest sorrow, and awakened 
an extensive sympathy wherever it became known. 
Three young ladies starting out with others from 
the house of Hon. George W. Woodward, fell 
through the ice formed over the flats near the 
Susquehanna River, and were drowned. One of 
these, Ellen May Woodward, aged thirteen years 
and five months, the subject of the following 
narrative, was Judge Woodward^ s eldest daughter. 
The others were Miss Mary R. Benner, aged seven- 
teen, from Bellefonte, Centre County, a visiter 



4 
X INTRODUCTION. 

at his house^ and Miss Ann 0. Butler^ aged 
twenty-one^ a member of his family. The pecu- 
liar position of Ellen Woodward as a member of 
the church of Christ at so early an age^ and the 
manifestations of deep piety which marked her, 
will account for the appearance of this little 
volume. She was one of Christ's lambs, com- 
mitted to the care of the pastor of the flock, and 
her story is told to lead others into the same fold. 

Wilkes-barre, July 1st, 1850. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Chapter I. Early Childhood, . .13 

II. The Awakening, . . 21 

III. Ellen in the Sunday School, . 28 

IV. Earnest Struggles, . . 38 
V. Ellen's Plan for spending the 

Sabbath, ... 68 

YI. The Confirmation, . . 72 

VII. Christian Efforts, . . 82 

VIII. The Communion, . . .90 

IX. Ellen's Journal, . . 98 

X. Thu Sudden Calamity, . . 113 

XI. The Funeral, ... 120 

XII. Ellen as a Scholar, . . 140 

XIII. Letters of Condolence, . 155 



MEMO in. 



CHAPTER I. 

EARLY CHILDHOOD. 

Ellen May Woodward, the daughter of 
the Hon. George W. and Sarah Elizabeth 
Woodward, was born in Wilkesbarre, Luzerne 
County, Pennsylvania, on the 26th of June^ 
1836, and was baptized by the Rev. Dr. 
May, in St. Stephen's Church, on Sunday, 
December 22d, of the same year. During 
her earliest childhood she was never con- 
sidered as peculiarly amiable in her disposi- 
tion, or more disposed than children in gene- 
ral towards religious impressions ; on the 
contrary, there were instances where the re- 
verse of this might be observed, and where, 
2 



14 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

without being regarded as a had child, in the 
common acceptation of the term, she yet ex- 
hibited much of that self-will so early ob- 
served in the natural heart. She was familiar, 
however, with the constant exercises of re- 
ligion from her earliest youth, and as she 
grew up, her disposition becoming modified 
by the surrounding influences, she mani- 
fested a better spirit, and showed a more 
than ordinary interest in religious exercises. 
These traits of character, and the change 
which was observable in her, have been more 
and more a matter of reflection to those who 
had any part to perform in the work of her 
moral culture. She was early noticed by her 
teacher in the infant school, and by her pas- 
tor as she grew into childhood, as one whom 
it was always pleasant to see, and with whom 
was associated little of that faultiness which 
so often gives the teacher and the pastor pain. 
In her countenance there could always be 
seen the earnest desire to learn the truths 
appropriate to the day and place; a counte- 
'nance which even then might seem indicative 
of the work of grace, which was so soon to be 



EARLY CHILDHOOD. 15 

manifested. In saying this, there is no de- 
sire on the part of any who are interested in 
her brief history, to represent her as a pre- 
cocious child. In all that is to follow, it is 
our only aim to present her truly as she was, 
with no attempt to hold her up as a model 
child^ for such she was not ; and nothing could 
have more distressed her heart, so sensitively 
alive to her own defects, than the idea of being 
made an example for the imitation of others. 
It is the work of God's grace in her heart 
which we truly wish to honour, and our 
desire is to present her to her young compa- 
nions, and all who may read this simple nar- 
rative, just as she appeared to her living 
friends, only with this natural diiSference, — 
that we look upon every blessing when it 
has departed, in another light, and reason 
more truly in regard to it, than we do when 
we have its full enjoyment. " How blessings 
brighten as they take their flight!" Could 
her young companions enjoy her society now, 
just as she was when with them before her 
death, how differently would they appreciate 
her. They would mark those traits which 



16 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

then were hardly noticed, but which, while 
unnoticed, led all who became intimate with 
her to love her. There was a charm of 
which all seemed to feel the influence, yet 
of which none were fully aware. 

The qualities which seemed most to strike 
the minds of her teachers were her great mo- 
desty and perfect transparency of character, 
her unexampled truthfulness and sincerity. 
She seemed hardly to realize what deception 
is. Her teachers were often restrained from 
bestowing upon her the meed of praise which 
they thought justly her due, from the positive 
annoyance which it seemed to give her, in her 
total unconsciousness of its desert. With this 
trait in her character was joined that self-pos- 
session which is always the accompaniment 
of true modesty. In her perfect simplicity 
and unaffectedness, she would freely converse 
with any of the many visiters at her father's 
house; while they, in turn, would be regard- 
ing her with an admiration at which she would 
have been not a little surprised. While always 
of a serious turn, none seemed to enjoy life 
more than she did, None would enter more 



EARLY CHILDHOOD. 17 

heartily into the innocent sports of childhood 
with her young companions, and, with the 
exception of the few weeks in which her heart 
was all absorbed in the settlement of the great 
question of her soul's safety, no child appeared 
to have a more uniformly happy life. All her 
outward circumstances were favourable to this 
result, and her own inward spirit would have 
moulded a less favourable w^orldly lot into a 
condition of contentment. 

It is difficult to tell the precise time when 
she first began to feel an interest in the sub- 
ject of religion; and more difficult still to fix 
the hour, the day, or the month, w^hen that 
great change, the new birth, took place. But 
on this point we have no trouble. It is of 
far less consequence to know the time^ than 
to know the fact that it did take place. That 
there are persons who can fix that time with 
some good degree of assurance, we do not 
doubt, but it seems not the manner in which 
God's spirit generally operates. The soul is 
more often led by a way which it knows not, 
by steps which it cannot see, until, from the 
native condition of midnight darkness, it is 
2^ 



18 ELLEN MAY WOOBWAKD. 

brought out into the clear sunlight of Chris- 
tian truth, and, looking back upon his former 
condition with a full realization of the great 
change through which he has passed, the new 
man in Christ Jesus can say, '' Whereas I 
was hlind^ now I see.'' This is in full accord- 
ance with what our Saviour said to Nicode- 
mus: ''The wind bloweth w^here it listeth, 
and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst 
not tell whence it cometh, and w^hither it 
goeth; so is every one that is born of the 
Spirit." Holding this to be the general mode 
in which conversion takes place, we do not 
look for any precise moment in w^hich the 
subject of this memoir passed through that 
great change: nor do we have less confidence 
in the reality of her conversion, because we 
cannot point to the time. The time of it is 
with God: the fact alone are we concerned 
with, and that fact we are to judge of by the 
life and fruits. 

We have already said, that in her earliest 
childhood, Ellen did not manifest a remarka- 
bly amiable disposition, but rather the re- 
verse. There was one trait, how^ever, which 



EARLY CHILDHOOD. 19 

was conspicuous from the beginning, — and 
that was her great love for her mother, a 
love which amounted to an entire devoted- 
ness, an affection accompanied with such 
strong yearnings, that she could hardly tole- 
rate even a short separation. Whether part- 
ing from her mother at night, or to go on an 
errand, or to school, a kiss and adieu, multi- 
plied and affectionate, were her established 
habits ; and her first care on returning was 
to assure herself of the welfare of her mother. 
With the sincerest affection for every member 
of the family, her love for her mother seemed 
from very early childhood to the day of her 
death to be the absorbing passion of her na- 
ture. Nor was she wanting in love and obe- 
dience to her aged maternal grandmother, 
who had always been a member of the family. 
This revered relative was often ill, and many, 
many times has Ellen foregone the recrea- 
tions in which the other children were en- 
gaged, to sit for hours by her bedside, read- 
ing to her in the Bible or some other good 
book. 

Early in life instances were noticed where 



20 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

Ellen took great interest in the study of the 
Bible, and it could be seen by her questions, 
that she was generally far in advance of chil- 
dren of her age, in the knowledge of God's 
truth. Since her death many conversations 
on this subject have recurred to her parents 
of a deeply interesting character, some of 
which must have taken place when she was 
not more than eight or nine years of age. 
She, however, in her own religious experi- 
ence, does not seem to have referred to any 
of this early instruction, or their early im- 
pressions, as having anything to do with her 
Christian character as afterwards developed. 
But notwithstanding her own unconscious- 
ness of it, the way had been prepared by 
steps which she did not recognise. There 
still seemed to be needed some striking event, 
or some definite presentation of truth, to 
draw forth her affection, and bring her mind 
to an intelligent decision ; and such an occa- 
sion or event was not long wanting, but was 
furnished in God's own good time. 



CHAPTER II. 



THE AWAKENING. 



On the last Sunday in July, 1848, after 
catechising the children of the Sunday school 
in St. Stephen's Church, the rector read to 
them the narrative of '^Little Elizabeth." 
This story proved very deeply interesting to 
Ellen, and made an impression upon her 
heart, more definite than any one thing be- 
fore known in her religious history. The 
narrative was brief, and gave the few and 
simple incidents in the life of a little child 
who died before she was four years of age. 
In that life, however, short as it was, there 
was witnessed as clear evidence of a work of 
grace, as is witnessed in the case of any per- 
son of maturer years. Penitence for sin, 
faith in Christ, and gratitude to God for all 



22 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

his goodness, were distinctly developed. 
Her natural temper, though hasty and un- 
ruly, as early exhibited, was clearly con- 
quered by divine grace, and the missionary 
spirit, the true spirit of Christ's disciples, 
was seen to such an extent, that she wished 
to sell the trinkets and jewels which were 
presented by her friends, and devote the 
money to the heathen. This narrative was 
sent in manuscript from England to the Rev. 
Dr. Cutler, Eector of St. Ann's Church, 
Brooklyn, who had it printed and distributed 
to all the children of the Sunday school 
connected with that church. The present 
writer well remembers the day, while assis- 
tant minister in that church, when the distri- 
bution of these little books took place. He 
then reserved a copy, which he read at the 
time before mentioned, in the parish to which 
he had removed. Having heard this story, 
Ellen returned home, and gave a most parti- 
cular account of it to her mother and to her 
younger sister, who was not at school. Her 
heart seemed, deeply moved, she shed many 
tears over its recital ; her whole soul was agi- 



THE AWAKENING. 23 

tated with the great question of her own sal- 
vation, and with characteristic affection and 
earnestness, asked her mother to pray for 
her. 

If we could have looked into the workings 
of Ellen's heart at this time, it would have 
probably appeared, that a new and deeper 
conviction of the truth had fastened upon her 
mind that early piety was possible. There 
can be no doubt that the many lessons which 
she had received at home, and in the Sunday 
school, and at church, had produced their 
wonted impression in some degree. We have 
already said that it will be difficult to desig- 
nate the moment when she became a Chris- 
tian. The ground had been preparing through 
her infancy and childhood. That same depra- 
vity which is the inheritance of all by nature, 
belonged to her, and the same great work of 
the Spirit was needed, before she could enter 
heaven. The work was most gradually deve- 
loped according to our Saviour's analogy in 
the parable of the sower. The ground must 
first be prepared or made good. It was not 
so originally, or by nature. And when the 



24 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

ground was prepared, the seed must be sown. 
This would not spring up and come to matu- 
rity at once. The full ear of ripened grain 
would be as unnatural a sight when imme- 
diately produced, as would be the full-grown 
and experienced Christian starting up from 
the death of sin and worldliness. The seed 
must begin to grow, after it had been planted 
'in the prepared ground. It Avould then start 
and grow before its first beginnings could be 
seen; before it appeared above the surface. 
Then would come the blade, the first faint 
signs of life, and returning spring-time. In 
this early tenderness it might be easily crushed 
and destroyed, but if guarded with care, as the 
husbandman watches his growing vegetation, 
it would increase, and, under the blessing of 
God's sun and rain, under the refreshing in- 
fluence of the sun of righteousness, and the 
dews of God's Spirit, the tender blade would 
soon expand into the forming ear. 

Such seems to have been the time in Ellen's 
moral history, when this little narrative was 
read. It presented religion to her in a new 
and more defined aspect. It coincided with 



THE AWAKENING. 25 

all the Instruction she had previously received, 
and went beyond it in this, — that it furnished 
a tangible case, in which the possible was 
developed into the actual ; the theory became 
practice. Nor will it be sufficient to speak 
of this as a natural result. It was more than 
this. It seemed to be one of the means among 
the many which the Holy Spirit uses to lead 
the heart of a child to the Saviour. It was 
something that she could understand and ap- 
preciate. She saw a little child of less than 
four years giving evident marks of piety, and 
dying happy. Why might not the same thing 
be true in her case? If so young a child 
should feel so strong a sense of sin, why 
should not she? If an infant could feel love 
to Jesus Christ for saving her soul, why should 
not her heart be touched with the same love ? 
And thus God made use of one of those means, 
so small as to be despised by worldly wisdom, 
to bring another child to her heavenly Father, 
Christ himself had said while on earth, " Suf» 
fer little children to come unto me, and forbid 
them not, for of such is the kingdom of hea- 
ven:'' and he also said, "Verily, verily, I 



26 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the 
kingdom of God as a little child, he shall in 
no wise enter therein.'' Thus did God's work 
seem to be accomplishing in Ellen's heart, by 
those apparently humble means which the 
Spirit would more readily bless. 

It was not long after the reading of the 
narrative of Little Elizabeth, and the impres- 
sion as above supposed proceeding from it, 
that Ellen's mother informed her pastor of 
her interest in serious things. She had even 
mentioned to her mother her desire to speak 
with me upon the subject. The particular 
trains of conversation on that and other sub- 
sequent occasions, are not distinctly remem- 
bered; but they left an abiding impression 
upon my own mind that a work of grace had 
been commenced, and had even then proceed- 
ed so far, that I should have had no hesitation 
in admitting her as a candidate for the rite 
of confirmation, and thereupon to full com- 
munion with the church. The matter was 
hinted to her then, as a thing to be considered 
carefully and solemnly, as the Bishop was ex- 
pected to visit the parish the last of that same 



THE AWAKENINa. 27 

month. It was left, however, to her own 
feelings ; and she, with that humility and dif- 
fidence so often discoverable, soon expressed 
the opinion that she was too young, and that 
it would be better to postpone it for the pre- 
sent. She was now about twelve years of 
age, and though she gave an evidence far 
superior to that upon which many a Christian 
has asked and been allowed the privileges of 
the full covenant, it was well, as far as we 
can now see, that she should wait for a fur- 
ther development of Christian character. The 
coming year was to witness a far deeper ex- 
perience, and a more active struggle to com- 
plete the begun work. Lovely and tender 
in spirit as she was, the great adversary of 
our race, who goes about as a roaring lion 
seeking whom he may devour, would not re- 
linquish his claim upon the lam.b of the flock, 
till he had exerted his utmost power. That 
contest we shall soon be called to witness. 



CHAPTER III. 

ELLEN IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 

We may as well speak here of Ellen's cha- 
racter and conduct in the Sunday school, as 
in any other place, though we may have to 
anticipate some things in that connexion, 
which happened later in her history. From 
the infant school to the Bible class, of which 
she was a member at the time of her death, 
she had always shown a similar, though in- 
creasing interest. Each teacher to whom she 
had at different times recited, speaks of her 
in the warmest terms, as a most exemplary 
scholar; and they all felt that they had one, 
at least, who would pay good attention and 
reward the labour bestowed upon the lesson. 
She came desiring to learn, was always 
prompt in answering, and always understood 



IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 29 

her lesson. If a difficult question occurred 
which required more than usual thought and 
study, the teacher felt all confidence that it 
would meet with an answer from Ellen ; and 
the readiness with which it was answered, 
was only equalled by the delicacy and mo- 
desty with which that answer was given. 
Nor was it alone the lesson of the school that 
occupied her attention. This was by no 
means the limit of her biblical study. There 
were times, indeed, when the family circle at 
home would be formed into a Bible class of a 
Sabbath afternoon, and when all the mem- 
bers would join in the delightful study of the 
sacred volume. Doubtless many a good im- 
pression was treasured up from this exercise. 
It was a sacred influence coming from the 
sanctuary of a happy home, where the fa- 
ther was the priest of his own household; 
and should the holy day be thus occupied, 
and the influence of home thus directed by 
every Christian family, there would be less 
complaint on the part of children that 
the day was dull and tedious, and less 
regrets on the part of parents, that the chil- 
3* 



30 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

dren had departed from the path of virtue. 
" Train up a child in the way he should go, 
and when he is old he will not depart from 
it.'' It may be useful here to explain in a 
few words the manner in which this exer- 
cise had been conducted. It had long been 
the custom in her father's family, when he 
was at home and circumstances permitted, to 
gather the whole family together in this 
manner on Sunday afternoon, each one that 
was old enough to read being provided with 
a Bible, and the younger children seated to 
listen. Several chapters would then be read, 
parents and children reading successively two 
verses each, after which a familiar and ge- 
neral conversation would ensue on some 
striking passage or impressive truth that had 
been met with in the lesson. The main ob- 
ject in these exercises was to bring home the 
truth to the hearts and consciences of all pre- 
sent ; and the articles and liturgy of the 
church, and the sermon of the morning were 
convenient illustrations, which were freely 
used for this purpose. In this exercise Ellen 
always manifested a lively and intelligent 



IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 31 

interest. Her questions and observations 
indicated a degree of thoughtfulness far be- 
yond her years. 

But in addition to all the foregoing, there 
is evidence that she had her own plan for 
pursuing the study of the Bible, after her 
mind and heart had become so deeply inte- 
rested in the personal application of its truths. 
Among her papers there was found a manu- 
script question book which she had written 
at times upon different portions of scripture, 
in addition to the lesson which she prepared 
for the Sunday school. These questions are 
such as would be most easily and naturally 
suggested to her mind, and sometimes are 
accompanied with reflections which were 
awakened by their study. The following are 
quoted as a specimen. It may be well to 
make a remark here, which will be applicable 
alike to these and other extracts from her 
papers. She wrote for no eye but her own. 
She seems to have poured out her heart on 
paper, the better to systematize her thoughts, 
and enable her to analyze them, and with no 
view whatever to the inspection of others. 



32 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

This will account in some measure for the 
more broken and disjointed style of those of 
her papers that were peculiarly private, as 
compared with the letters which were desimed 
for the perusal of others. 



" QUESTIONS ON THE BIBLE, WRITTEN WHEN 
I WAS TWELVE YEARS OLD. 

Questions on the second chapter of Matthew. 

^' When Herod was dead, who appeared to 
Joseph? (v. 19.) 

''What did the angel of the Lord say this 
time? 

''Joseph was warned by an angel of the 
Lord in the first place in a dream, to flee into 
Egypt, and afterwards, when Herod was dead, 
the angel of the Lord appeared a second time 
in a dream, and told Joseph to flee into the 
land of Israel. I think that this shows the 
protecting power of God in enabling them to 
avoid Herod. 

" Did Joseph obey the command? 

^' We see that Joseph did obey the command 



IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 33 

of the angel of the Lord; and we ought to 
obey all the commands of the Bible as the 
revealed word of God. 

"Who reigned after Herod? 

" It seems that after the death of Herod 
Joseph was still afraid to go into Judea, as 
Archelaus his son reigned in his father Herod's 
place, and ' very likely Joseph was afraid that 
he had the same cruel disposition as his father.' 
He was further admonished of God to turn 
into the ^ parts of Galilee.' " 

It will be seen by the quotation marks here 
and elsewhere, how particularly scrupulous 
Ellen was to take nothing from others without 
an acknowledgment, though this little book 
was to be seen by no one but herself. Such 
was her character, manifested in everything. 

LuJce, 8th chapter^ from the 22d to the 26th 

verse. 

" It happened once that Jesus ' went into 
a ship with his disciples,' and he desired to 
go to the other side of the lake they were 
upon, so they 'launched forth.' But pre- 
sently 'he fell asleep,' and while he slept a 



34 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

great storm arose, and the ship filled with 
water. His disciples were very much fright- 
ened and went to him ' and awoke him saying, 
Master, Master, we perish.' But he rebuked 
the winds and the waves ' and there was a 
calm.' And he said, ^ Where is your faith?' 
At this those that were with him were afraid 
and ^wondered' saying, ^What manner of man 
is this? for he commandeth even the winds 
and water, and they obey him.' " 

*^ Sunday, July 29t}i, '49. 

^' Jesus once ^went into a city called Nain,' 
and he was followed by his disciples and a 
great multitude of people. When he came 
'to the gate of the city,' he met a funeral. 

There was a young man of the city to be 
buried, who was the only son of a widow. 
He 'touched the bier' with his hand, and 
those that carried it 'stood still.' Then he 
told the young man to arise. He who was 
lifeless but a moment before 'sat up' in his 
coffin, and Jesus 'delivered him to his mo- 
ther.' Then all those that were about were 
seized with fear, and 'glorified God/ They 



IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 35 

declared that ^ there was a great prophet 
risen up among them, and God had visited 
his people/ 'The disciples of John/ told 
him all the things that had happened." 

This is a specimen of the manner in which 
Ellen made the study of the Bible interesting 
to herself; seizing hold of incidents in the 
scripture narrative, and clothing them in 
her own language; sometimes transferring 
her own ideas of present customs, to that dis- 
tant land, and that different scene. An in- 
stance of this is observed in the last extract, 
where the word " coflSn" is introduced, a word 
not in the original, because that custom of 
burying was not common, but it would easily 
and naturally occur to the mind of a child 
who was thus writing, when she knew its use 
in her own country. The same may be ob- 
served in regard to the word "funeral." 
Should such an exercise as this be pursued 
generally in our Sunday schools, under the 
direction of ministers, superintendents, and 
teachers, it would greatly enhance the interest 
of the lessons, and familiarize the youthful 



36 ELLEX MAY WOODWARD. 

mind with the word of God. Where scripture 
scenes or truths are stated by the children 
themselves in language which they can com- 
prehend, they must produce a greater effect, 
than the same things though often and care- 
lessly read over in the ordinary course of in- 
struction. Reflection is stimulated, and the 
habit of thoughtfully weighing the teaching 
of the Bible is confirmed. There is no doubt 
that Ellen gained great benefit from this exer- 
cise. She assumed it herself, and it was not 
a task but a delightful duty. 

That she was truly conscientious in her at- 
tendance upon every duty has already been re- 
marked. The following note is an instance. 
It was directed to her Sunday school teacher. 

"Please excuse me for not being at your 
house in time to study over the lesson with 
you. It was very kind in you to go over 
with it for our sakes, and I was very thought- 
less not to come down sooner." 

She once spoke to me in church as I was 
passing through the aisle, after catechising the 



IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 87 

children, and asked my forgiveness for whis- 
pering during the exercise. I had perceived 
nothing of the kind, but it made no diffe- 
rence with her ; she knew it herself and was 
not easy until she had confessed it. Many 
a similar instance has occurred where she has 
asked the forgiveness of her teachers or 
parents for something which she had done in 
a thoughtless moment, when they were not at 
all aware of it. Things which were never 
noticed by others, were condemned by her- 
self, so sensitively alive was she to the most 
trifling fault. On retiring for the night she 
always parted from her parents with a kiss, 
and generally with some expression of desire 
for their forgiveness of faults, which were so 
minute that they had not observed them, or 
had forgotten them, insomuch that they could 
not suspect to what she referred unless she 
explained. The most refined casuistry is not 
so severe as was her jealousy of herself. 



CHAPTER IV. 

EARNEST STRUaGLES. 

DuRiNa the winter and spring of 1849, 
but little change was observable in her religi- 
ous character. There was the same attention 
to all her duties, at home, at the seminary, 
in the Sunday school, and at church. She 
seemed never to lose the interest which had 
been awakened during the preceding summer. 
But there yet appeared to be needed some 
deeper movings of the Holy Spirit to deve- 
lope her religious affections and complete the 
work already begun. And this influence was 
not long absent. There was no outwardly 
exciting circumstance to impress her already 
awakened mind, but the still, small voice of 
God's Spirit bade her go forward in the 
path of duty. Her true character was yet to 



EARNEST STRUGGLES. 39 

be manifested under circumstances of strong 
spiritual conflict with the enemy. Her own 
native depravity was to be more deeply real- 
ized, and the preciousness of the Saviour ex- 
perienced as it had not been before. 

Some time in the latter part of May, or 
about the first of June, it was discoverable 
that her mind had become most deeply exer- 
cised. It was then that she seemed to enter 
more freely into conversation with her pa- 
rents and her pastor. As the work went on 
it began to assume to her an agonizing inte- 
rest. Satan was exerting his strongest influ- 
ence to defeat the work of God, and the 
tender child was thrown almost into despair. 
Under the Spirit's promptings she searched 
her own heart very thoroughly, and watched 
its changing phases most narrowly. She 
took every pains to be informed. She 
opened her heart fully, and concealed no- 
thing from her spiritual advisers. The pro- 
gress of the work may be judged better by 
some of her own statements in her own sim- 
ple language, than by a mere description. 
In conversation with her I noticed that her 



40 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

impressions of her condition varied much 
from time to time ; some days buoyed up with 
hope,— on others depressed with many fears. 
I then suggested to her the exercise of set- 
ting down her thoughts on paper, — writing 
in one column the encouraging thoughts, — in 
another, the discouraging thoughts. By this 
exercise she could keep in view the various 
changes of her mind, and, perhaps be led to 
judge more correctly after a little delay. 
This exercise her mind seized upon, and she 
pursued it very faithfully. The following is 
the first paper which I received from her, 
and it gives an idea of the thoroughness of 
the work which was going on in her heart. 

** Saturday afternoon, June 9tli, 1849. 

"My dear Pastor: 

" It seems as though I could tell you my 
feelings and thoughts better by writing about 
them to you in the form of a letter, than 
to arrange them more formally. I asked 
mother if she thought it would be disrespect- 
ful to you to write you in this way, rather 
than to write down my thoughts in the other 



EARNEST STRUGGLES. 41 

way that you proposed to me; and as I feel 
that my state of mind is not very different 
from what it was yesterday, and as there 
have not many new thoughts come into my 
mind, she seemed to think I might write in 
this way if I chose. I think there is one 
thing of which I am certain, and that is my 
very great hardness of heart ; although I do 
not think I feel it as much just now as I did 
a little while ago, but I hope I did feel it 
very much. And would I feel this hardness 
of heart if the Holy Spirit had not showed it 
to me ? I think in the conversation on last 
Monday you said it was not natural for us to 
feel that our hearts were hard. I believe 
you asked me last night if I did not know, 
or if I was not certain, that I would rather 
lose anything than my interest in Christ, or 
something to that effect. I hope when I con- 
sider the matter that I see it would be better 
to have a well-grounded hope in Christ than 
anything else. But oh that I felt it more ! 
I would not be willing to go back to the 
world and lose even the hope that I have. 
But sometimes there is such a thought as this 
4* 



42 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

passes through my mind,— do I really desire 
to be a Christian? But perhaps it is wrong 
to doubt that I have such a desire, and if I 
pray for such a desire, will I not receive it, 
even if I have it not? The possibility of 
being deceived has troubled me some. I 
think over my life since last summer, when, 
I trust, I began to think more seriously than 
I ever had done before of these things, and I 
will think that I have had some Christian 
experience. Then I think of my doubts 
for days past and ask, were these doubts 
temptations of the evil one? or were they 
intended to lead me to see that I had been 
deceived, and consequently prompted by the 
Holy Spirit? But will not God direct my 
mind to the truth, if I strive to put my trust 
in him ? I believe I asked you on Monday if 
a Christian would sin intentionally, or some- 
thing to that point, and you said that you 
would think that person in an exceedingly 
dangerous position, though you would not 
wish to limit the mercy of God; and I expect 
that troubled me some, though I hope now I 
have not committed such a sin. One thing 



EARNEST STRUGGLES. 43 

that I trust has comforted me some has been 
this passage of scripture — ' Whom the Lord 
loveth he chasteneth.' Would you advise me 
(I think you did) to keep a list of my diffe- 
rent trains of thought day by day, if I live ? 
May my Heavenly Father give me entire 
freedom from doubt in his own good time. 
" From a poor little girl to her pastor." 

This must appear to all who read it a re- 
markable letter, coming from a child twelve 
years of age. The feelings and workings of 
the human heart there indicated, have been 
experienced by many a Christian, and as they 
read this simple narrative, they will recog- 
nise more or less that great change through 
which they have all passed (if indeed they are 
Christians), as face answereth to face in a 
glass. Its only peculiarity is, that it appeared 
in the case of one so young; and even this 
shows the operation of the Holy Spirit, which 
can move alike the heart of the most gifted 
man in mature life, and the heart of a little 
child. There were faithful searchings de- 
scribed in that letter which no hypocrite or 



44 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

deceiver would practise, and there was a 
closeness of reasoning upon doubtful exer- 
cises in her mind, which would honour a gifted 
philosopher or metaphysician. She seemed 
now to be needing encouragement and com- 
fort, and therefore the following was imme- 
diately sent to her in answer to her letter^ 
and under the blessing of that God who works 
by means, it was in some measure effectual 
in producing the desired result, 

'' My beae Ellen : 

" I was glad that you felt a freedom in 
writing to me in the way you did, to tell me 
what was passing in your mind without any 
formality. I am directed in God's word to 
give every one his portion of meat in due 
season, and to feed the lambs of the flock as 
well as the sheep. I may not reach your 
case in my public ministrations, and therefore 
I sit down now to preach on paper, feeling 
assured that my sermon will be well received, 
and with the hope that I may assist one who 
is seeking the heavenward path. You doubt- 
less did not intend to write in any particular 



EARNEST STRUGGLES. 45 

order, but to say what happened to occur 
most readily, and yet you have proceeded 
most systematically, if I may so speak. Let 
me refer to your several positions that you 
may review them again, and take courage. 

^'1. There is one thing of which you are 
certain, viz.: 'very great hardness of heart.' 
Who taught you this ? From whence did the 
feeling arise? Did God's Spirit convince 
you of it, or did the devil come to you in the 
hours of your early and comparative inno- 
cence and prompt the feeling? This latter 
is not his method of dealing, and therefore it 
must have been God's Spirit, early in his 
visitings to your heart, before that heart grew 
more hard ; and therefore you ought to thank 
him. Is not this in other words, your over- 
whelming sense of the burden of sin, and the 
strongly expressed desire of your soul to be 
relieved of it ? But how will you be relieved ? 
This is the next step. If we are sinners, we 
need salvation, and hence you are next look- 
ing to a hope in Christ. 

" 2. You say, ' I hope when I consider the 
matter that I see it would be better to have 



46 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

a well-grounded hope in Christ, than anything 
else. But that Ifelt it more !' Is not this, 
in your own modest language, the strongest 
way in which you could express the all-per- 
vading desire of your heart, that you might 
have a well-grounded hope in Christ ? And 
who gives you this desire ? Is it the devil ? 
Does he wish you to have any hope in Christ 
at all? And least of all, would he wish you 
to have a well-grounded hope? Be not faith- 
less, but believe that the Holy Spirit alone 
could prompt in you such good desires, and 
desires so accordant with the written word. 
God's work and the devil's are not so much 
alike. 

" 3. What is the next step ? Some faint 
dawnings of hope appear. 'I would not be 
willing to go back to the world and lose even 
the hope that I have.' This certainly is not 
'hoping against hope,' to use a common ex- 
pression, but it is hope in favour of more 
hope. It is the little germ of hope planted in 
your heart, bursting forth,— expanding and 
stretching out its tendrils like the growing 
vinCj that it may feel a support stronger than 



EARNEST STRUGGLES, 47 

itself. Now whence this hope? Does the 
devil prompt it ? Nay. He gives many dark 
and troublesome doubts^ but he awakens no 
hopes. He would palsy and benumb the 
sensibilities, that we might not feel ; or cast 
us into darkness and despair, but he would 
never quicken a hope. Hope is a stronger 
form of desire. It holds the intermediate 
position between desire and fruition. If we 
do not desire a thing, we shall not hope for 
it ; and if we do not hope for it, we shall not 
enjoy it. But what is the object for which 
you hope ? Is it good or bad ? Is it in ac- 
cordance with God's will, or not ? Does he 
wish you to be saved or lost ? From whom 
do ' all holy desires^ all good counsel, and all 
just works proceed V Perhaps I have been 
too particular in this discrimination, but I am 
persuaded that your mind Avill readily follow 
them. I am trying with the calm, unpreju- 
diced, and disinterested eye of a looker-on, 
to lay open your own mind to yourself, and 
show you those landmarks and grounds of 
confidence, which you are too diffident to as- 
sume for yourself. 



48 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

" 4. But you have gone farther than this. 
You have gone through those preceding 
exercises of mind, and yet are sometimes 
tempted to ask, ^ Do I really desire to be a 
Christian V Look back through the period 
of the past year, and let your reigning and 
prevailing motive answer this question. Let 
the hours which you have spent in commu- 
nion with God, when your heart has been 
laid open before Him answer. Let the hours 
when you have read his word and tried to 
apply to your own heart its various tests, 
answer. Let the chief happiness which you 
have enjoyed in that period, answer. jTneed 
not answer the question, for you yourself 
throw in a peradventure that it may be 
' wrong to doubt that you have such a de- 
sire.' 

" 5. After throwing out these doubts, and 
expressing your trouble at ' the possibility of 
being deceived,' you do seem to honour the 
work and promptings of the Spirit. You re- 
view your life since last summer, when you 
began to think more seriously of religion, and 
you say, ' I will think that I have had some 



EARNEST STRUGGLES. 49 

Christian experience;' and you express the 
confidence that God will direct your mind to 
the truth, if you strive to put your trust in 
him. You also have some comfort under the 
spiritual chastisement which the Lord has 
laid upon you, and you seem to feel that he 
does love you, since he has chastened you, 
and that he will yet show you. the light of his 
countenance, though clouds of doubt have 
sometimes veiled your clear view. May I 
. not trust that this is the beginning of better 
days to you ; an earnest of the good things 
which your heavenly Father has in store for 
you ? May I not hope that you will follow 
on to know the Lord, forgetting the things 
behind ; and that soon you will come out of 
your time of trial and conflict with your great 
spiritual enemy, a cheerful and happy child 
of God, through discipleship in Christ, let- 
ting the mild beams of your Christian light 
and life fall upon the circle in which you 
move, cheering the hearts of pious friends, 
and winning others by the lovely example of 
one who has been with Jesus ! For this, your 
pastor will continue to pray, while in closing 



50 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

he would put into your mouth the prayer of 
the humble penitent, ^Lord I believe, help 
thou mine unbelief.' 

" Your affectionate pastor. 
'^JunelOtli, 1849." 

Soon after this, she handed me another 
paper, more in accordance with the plan I 
had suggested. 

"List of the different thoughts that I 
have in regard to myself on the subject of 
religion, and some passages of scripture ta 
sustain or not sustain these thoughts. 

" ENCOUEAGINa THOUGHTS. 

"A desire to be saved, and, I hope, a wil- 
lingness to accept the way in which to be 



i 



" I do not think that I would be willing to 
give up even the hope that I now have and 
be taken up by worldly pleasures. 

" I should think that there would be great 
danger in giving up even the hope that I now 
have. 



EARNEST STRUGGLES. 51 

"It is said in the last verse of the 9th 
chapter of Luke's gospel, by Jesus Christ, 
' no man having put his hand to the plough, 
and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of 
God.' 

"It must be the Holy Spirit that makes 
me think about my soul. 

" My heavenly Father does not despise a 
troubled spirit. 

" We have an assurance that our heavenly 
Father will hear and answer our prayers. 

"In the 18th chapter of Luke, Jesus 
teaches that we ought always to pray, and 
not to faint and say: — 'And shall not God 
avenge his own elect which cry day and night 
unto him, though he bear long with them ?' 

" Father pointed out to me the verse that 
was read in the psalter this morning, ' The 
sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit ; a broken 
and contrite heart, God, shalt thou not de- 
spise.' He said he thought of me when he 
read it, and it seems to me I noticed it my- 
self. 

"I think I have a troubled spirit." 



52 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

'^ DISCOURAGINO THOUGHTS. 

" I think sometimes that the 181st hymn 
suits me exactly. 

" The Lord will happiness divine 
On contrite hearts bestow ; 
Then tell me, gracious God, is mine 
A contrite heart, or no ? 

*^ I hear, but seem to hear in vain. 
Insensible as steel, 
If aught is felt, 'tis only pain 
To find I cannot feel. 

^^ My best desires are faint and few, 
I fain would strive for more ; 
But when I cry, < My strength renew/ 
Seem weaker than before. 

"I see thy saints with comfort filled^. 
When in thy house of prayer ; 
But still in bondage I am held, 
And find no comfort there. 

*^0 make this heart rejoice or ache^ 
Decide this doubt for me ; 
And if it be not broken, break; 
And heal it if it be. 

" I am afraid my friends seem to think 



1 



EARNEST STRUaaLES, 53 

better of my state of mind than I can think 
of myself. 

" There are some other discouraging 
thoughts, perhaps I had better talk to you 
about when I see you." 

At another time she wrote the following : — 

" List of the thoughts which I have with 
regard to myself on the subject of religion. 

^^ ENCOUEAaiNG THOUGHTS. 

" Jesus said, ' Him who cometh to me I will 
in no wise cast out.' 

" If I know my own mind to any degree, I 
think I wish to have Christ for my saviour, 
and to enjoy his love. 

" The hope that I do sometimes feel some 
love to my Saviour, though my heart is often 
very cold. 

" Would I care anything about my soul if 
God had not sent his Holy Spirit to lead me 
to think about it ? 

5^ 



54 ELLEN MAT WOODWARD, 

^^DISCOURAaiNG THOUGHTS. 

" The hardness of my heart seems so great^ 
and I sometimes have so very little love 
to my Saviour, it seems as though that heart 
cannot have been renewed. 

" The fear that I do right, more from a fear 
of grieving the Holy Spirit, than from a fer-- 
vent love to God and Jesus Christ, or a de- 
sire to glorify them, 

" I am afraid that I think too much of my 
Saviour as indiflferent about me/' 

The next paper seems to be filled with 
thoughts mostly under one head. 

" BISCOUKAaiNa THOUGHTS. 

*^ I am sometimes afraid that I have not 
really as much reason to hope that I am a 
Christian now, as I had some time ago ; but 
perhaps it is my own desponding feelings 
which lead me to think so. 

" Sometimes, it seems to me as if my sins 
were still darling to me ; as if I did not want 
to be freed from them ; and as if I asked to 
be freed from them only because I know it 
is my duty. 



I 



I 



EARNEST STRUGGLES. 55 

" I think that I look upon my conduct 
before I became awakened, with pleasure ; but 
then I think it is only because I want to 
find evidences of a change of heart. 

" This passage of Scripture, I think, some- 
times troubles me : ' For I say unto you, that 
unto every one that hath shall be given ; and 
from him that hath not, even that he hath 
shall be taken away from him ;' or some pas- 
sage of Scripture similar to it, although I do 
not know as it applies to my case. 

"' The tempter sometimes puts such a 
thought as this into my mind, 'May not 
religion be false V — but I hope that I try to 
struggle against all such thoughts. 

" I am afraid I do not love my Saviour 
as much as I do my mother ; and sometimes 
I feel so wicked, that I do not wish to love 
him. 

'' I am afraid I do what I think is right^ 
from a fear of tempting the Holy Spirit to 
depart from me entirely, or from other 
motives than a desire for the glory of God. 

" I think I used to feel more confidence 
in approaching God than my Saviour^ but I 



56 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

do not know as I have that feeling so much 
now. 

" I am afraid that I love to read other 
books better than the Bible. 

^'I fear, sometimes, that I felt disap- 
pointed when I experienced, as I have since 
hoped, peace and joy in believing, that per- 
haps I did not experience as much joy as I 
expected." 

These brief and fragmentary statements of 
the workings of Ellen's heart, would afford 
us material for copious reflections. Who is 
not struck with this faithfulness in dealing 
with herself? How carefully she weighed 
every point that had any bearing upon her 
spiritual condition !- How consonant is all 
that we have read, with that perfect honesty 
and transparency of character which we see 
in all her short life ! Her story most clearly 
reveals the workings of the Holy Spirit upon 
a heart that did not reject nor resist it, but 
in all humility submitted to its closest search- 
ings; and while she had never studied the 
deep subtleties of metaphysics, she had learn- 



EARNEST STRUaGLES. 67 

ed to search her emotions and motives, and 
to watch the whole operations of her mind. 
For one of these later 'thoughts/ she ex- 
presses the fear that she loves to dwell on 
her character, before she became awakened 
to a sense of the importance of religion. It 
is not perhaps strange that the fact should 
be so, because it tends to gratify our natural 
pride. The Pharisee, who thanked God that 
he was not as other men, expressed the natu- 
ral operation of the human heart; but the 
difference between him and Ellen was, that 
she had detected this unregenerate emotion. 
She was not only conscious of the feeling 
of self-gratulation, but she had classified it 
among the corrupt affections of our nature. 
The good Bishop Beveridge once said, that 
even his prayers had need to be forgiven, 
and his very tears needed working over 
again. Thus, in many of Ellen's recorded 
experiences, we observe the same complicate 
and profound searchings into the innermost 
recesses of her heart, which characterized 
that distinguished servant of God. 

Take another instance, where she alludes 



58 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

to tbat love for her mother, which we have 
before noticed she exercised to a remarkable 
degree. It immediately comes up in her 
mind, and she tries her love to her Saviour 
by that high standard. She has summoned 
her own deepest affection for the most be- 
loved of earth, and been willing to abide the 
test. It might have troubled older heads and 
more experienced Christians than Ellen, to 
balance the seemingly conflicting claims, and 
adjust the relative degree of love with which 
each was to be regarded; but it was not a 
point on which God would allow one of his 
own children, the lambs of Christ's flock, 
long to be in doubt. He had commanded in 
his word that children should reverence and 
obey their parents in the Lord, and he had 
given, through his good providence to Ellen, 
parents whose delight it was to further her 
spiritual interests. We need not stop to ask 
how it would have been with her under ad- 
verse circumstances ; for Grod's promise is, 
"My grace is suflGicient for thee." "As thy 
day is, so shall thy strength be." 

To notice but one other extract. Who is 



f 



EARNEST STRUGGLES. 59 

not astonished at her extreme delicacy^ with 
regard to the motive that influences her to 
do what she thinks is right ? She fears that 
there are '^ other motives than a desire to 
glorify God." It was not that she would be 
more beloved by her family and friends ; it 
was not that she might challenge the esteem 
of the world ; it was not that she would be 
more happy by doing right ; nor even the fear 
of tempting the Holy Spirit to depart from 
her, that would allowably move her to the 
performance of her duty. All these might 
have their weight, and some of them were 
justly to be regarded, but they were not suf- 
ficient. She must do right because it was 
righty and because God should be glorified 
by the lives of his reasonable, intelligent 
creatures, depending daily upon his bounty, 
and owing to him their creation and re- 
demption. 

And now, are the readers of this little nar- 
rative sensible that they are acting from the 
high and holy motives that constrained Ellen 
to give herself to the service of God ; or are 
they living for themselves alone, '^without 



60 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

God in the world?" How would each heart 
be affected, that should apply those search- 
ing tests ? and how many of our readers are 
willing to examine themselves, and pray in 
the words of the Psalmist, ^'Search me, 
God, and'know my heart ; try me, and know 
my thoughts?" Should a course of faithful 
self-examination be pursued, similar to that 
which was marked out for herself by this 
child, there would be less room for the excuse 
that religion was a matter of doubtful evi- 
dence, and that our own need of it was too 
questionable to induce an effort for its ac- 
quirement. 

While all this was in progress, there were 
many conversations which cannot here be 
detailed. She expressed her mind with the 
utmost readiness, except as deep feeling 
would at times hinder her utterance. Her 
eyes were often bathed in tears, and some- 
times she would come from her room in agony 
of mind, as she read some fearful warning in 
the Bible, which she thought might apply to 
her. She once came to her father in the 
greatest distress, and with streaming eyes, 



EARNEST STRUGGLES. 61 

and pointed to the passage in the 10th of 
Hebrews, 26th and 27th verses : '' For if we 
sin wilfully, after that we have received the 
knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no 
more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful 
looking for of judgment and fiery indigna- 
tion which shall devour the adversaries." 
She was somewhat comforted with the assu- 
rance that this could hardly apply to the 
case of a child, who now in the morning of 
life was trying to turn to the Saviour, and 
give her heart to him ; but her father, per- 
ceiving from her manner, that her doubts 
and alarm were not wholly removed, took 
the Bible from her hands, and read to her 
the context, with such observations as were 
calculated to show her that the passage refer- 
red to a renunciation of Christianity in favour 
of Judaism, rather than to a little penitent 
girl mourning over sins of which she was 
painfully conscious. But still her expressive 
eyes betrayed uneasiness and anxiety. She 
said that she had never met with this passage 
before, or if she had, she had read it care- 
lessly, and without any impression, but that 



62 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

now she must be satisfied in regard to its 
meaning. Her father reminded her that she 
had in the house Scott's Commentary, which 
her friend and namesake, Mrs. May, had 
given her, and that that excellent work 
should be consulted. The appropriate volume 
was instantly procured, and Scott's note on 
Heb. X. 26, 27, was carefully read; and it 
Was with infinite relief that Ellen learned 
from his exposition, that the Apostle had 
reference to the sin of wilful and deliberate 
apostacy from the true faith, and not to the 
sin of a baptized and penitent believer. It 
may be well, for the benefit of other fearful 
and trembling children of God who may 
read this narrative, and who may have expe- 
rienced something of the spiritual trouble 
which afflicted Ellen, to make a brief extract 
from Scott's note, since all may not have 
a copy of his Commentary at hand. He 
remarks : 

" The Hebrews would be strongly tempted 
to apostacy, not only by the virulence of 
their persecuting countrymen, but their own 



EARNEST STRUGGLES. 63 

undue attachment to the legal sacrifices. So 
long as they supposed that the blood of bulls, 
lambs, or goats 'could take away sin/ they 
would hope for pardon and salvation even in 
renouncing Christianity, and so escaping per- 
secution ; and thus they might be induced to 
^sin wilfully, after they- had received the 
knowledge of the truth/ The whole argu- 
ment shows that the Apostle principally 
intended a wilful, deliberate, and pertina- 
cious apostacy ; not the effect of ignorance 
or sudden surprise ; but against the convic- 
tions of their own consciences, and in a pre- 
sumptuous and obstinate manner : though he 
expressed himself in such language as might 
also warn the readers against every kind 
of wilful, deliberate, and presumptuous sin. 
The persons spoken of, were such as had 
'received the knowledge of the truth,' and 
were so enlightened in respect of the evi- 
dences and doctrines of Christianity, as to 
make a credible and intelligent profession of 
it, even in the time of the Apostles. When 
this had preceded a wilful renunciation of 
Christianity to return to Judaism, either 



64 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

from a determined purpose of escaping per- 
secution, or from proud and carnal enmity 
to the humiliating and spiritual truths of the 
gospel, would be generally fatal. In respect 
of such apostates, ' there remained no more 
sacrifice for sin.' '* 

That great religious work had now taken 
deep hold of Ellen's heart. She could hardly 
be interested in any other subject. She at- 
tended to her duties at home and at school, 
because they were duties^ and she was most 
conscientious in their discharge ; while it was 
evident that her heart was not in them, but 
was strongly exercised by something else. 
Much of her leisure time she spent in private. 
Her closet witnessed the frequency and the 
fervency of her prayers. She seemed hardly 
to desire her ordinary food, and for a time it 
was feared that if she did not meet with early 
relief, reason must wander from her throne. 
This season of distress, however, was not of 
long continuance. Her heavenly Father, xk 
whom she trusted with such filial confidence, 
did give her a comfortable ^^ freedom from 



EARNEST STKUGGLES. 65 

doubt in his own good time," according to 
her earnest prayer; and the Spirit adminis- 
tered its consolations after the great adver- 
sary had sufficiently tried her. She began 
now to hope somewhat, though with trem- 
bling, and to set about the performance of 
her religious duties. 

The following is an extract from a letter 
written to Judge Woodward by Dr. May, the 
former Rector of St. Stephen's, at whose 
hands it will be remembered Ellen received 
baptism, and after whose excellent lady she 
had been named. It would naturally be a 
source of high gratification to them to hear 
of that child's progress in the divine life. 
The letter is dated 

*^ July 3d, 1849. 

" When I read what you wrote of your 
daughter Ellen, my heart overflowed. God 
be gracious to the child ! Tea, let his name 
be praised for the grace already given. We 
join our hearts to yours and Mrs. W.'s in 
thanks to his name. The Lord forbid we 
should cease to pray for her. I know the 

6* 



66 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

Master whom she is to serve is most gracious. 
His yoke is easy and his burden is light. 
Satan and a heart of unbelief may at times 
say otherwise. Sometimes the heavenly walk 
may seem to be up hill. But he that en- 
dureth to the end shall be saved. ' My grace 
is sufficient for thee/ is our Saviour's gracious 
assurance. The word of God and prayer are 
the mighty means. Let her learn that word, 
let it dwell in her heart, and then let her 
keep faithfully to the closet, and commune 
with her God and Saviour in secret, and all 
good things shall be given her abundantly. 
Though the journey through the wilderness 
may seem long and wearisome, God goes with 
his people and feeds them with manna, and 
then the promised land lies beyond. Be thou 
faithful unto death is our Saviour's language, 
and I will give thee a crown of life. Say to 
Ellen we loved her before for her parent's 
sake and for her own sake; now we love her 
for the Lord's sake." 

Among Ellen's papers the following letter 
was found, which, it is supposed, she wrote 



EARNEST STRUGGLES. 67 

in answer to so much of the above as referred 
to her, but which she never sent. It is like 
most of the papers which she has left, without 
a date. 

"Perhaps you may be surprised at my 
writing to you, but I want to tell you that I 
am very much obliged to you for what you 
wrote to me in your letter, and I hope I shall 
try to profit by it. I have often thought that 
I would like to have you write something to 
me about reli^on, and I would be very happy 
to receive a letter from you if convenient. I 
know that religion is everything, that with- 
out it we cannot be really happy, and that 
with it we are happy. I have very many 
unbelieving thoughts, such as that Christ does 
not love me, that I have sinned beyond mercy, 
&c. I often feel that I have not true peni- 
tence for my sin, but I trust that I will not 
be deceived in regard to that great question. 
I need counsel and advice, and would like to 
have you counsel and advise me. Please to 
give a great deal of love to Mrs. May for me, 
and tell her that I shall ever remember her 
with deep affection." 



CHAPTER V. 

Ellen's plan for the sabbath. 

Some time during the summer Ellen marked 
out for herself the following: — 

"System of spending the Sabbath,— 

"If Hive. 

"If I have time, learn a hymn or a psalm 
before I go to church. 

"Spend the time between church and din- 
ner in trying to think of my heavenly Father 
and my Saviour. 

" After dinner spend half an hour in study- 
ing the Bible in some way, either by the ques- 
tion book or my own questions. 

" Read half or quarter of an hour in the 
* Fountain of Life.* 

"Then be alone with my heavenly Father 
and my Saviour. 



PLAN FOR THE SABBATH. 69 

"Kead over hymns, and perhaps learn some. 
" Try to teach the children something. 
" Go alone and pray. 

'^ Try to talk about my soul with some- 
body." 

The words "if I live/' seem to have been 
added at the head of this list after the rest 
had been written, as indicated by their posi- 
tion in the page. Though always in the en- 
joyment of good general health, and never 
visited with any alarming illness, the idea 
seemed often to come into her thoughtful 
mind, that she might not live long, and we 
have good assurance that she was preparing 
for the summons at any moment. 

It will be noticed that she refers in this 
list to her own questions, by which she was 
accustomed to study the Bible, and we have 
already had a specimen of them, which gives 
us an insight into the manner in which she 
studied the sacred volume. 

In addition to her strictly biblical studies, 
she devoted much time to religious reading. 
When this "system'' was made out, she was 



70 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

reading "The Fountain of Life/' an excellent 
work by Flavel. There is another copy of 
her plan, where the " Obligation of the World 
to the Bible/' is mentioned. She was also 
much interested in that truly valuable book 
of Abbott's, "The Young Christian," and 
from this she derived very essential benefit, 
as we shall afterwards have occasion to notice. 
She was familiar with " Doddridge's Rise and 
Progress," and many other books of a similar 
character, which it is not needful to specify. 
It was quite observable, that she never mani- 
fested a taste for works of fiction, and she 
could hardly understand how any one could be 
interested in them. If the children brought 
home a book from the Sunday school library, 
or any of the family were reading a narrative, 
her first question would be " Is it true ?" If 
there was any doubt about this, it had no 
charm for her, and her truth-loving mind 
would turn from the most fascinating story 
if it was destitute of this essential element of 
interest. There are some who can appreciate 
this feeling when they realize that "truth is 
more wonderful than fiction," even if they 



PLAN FOR THE SABBATH. 71 

have not yet loved truth as Ellen did, for its 
own sake ; and happy would it be for all, if 
they could at the close of life, look back upon 
no time wasted in worse than profitless read- 
ing. She had no regrets of that kind, even 
in her short life, and she derived a far higher 
pleasure from her few choice companions 
which ministered to her spiritual improve- 
ment, than that transient, though unsatis- 
factory enjoyment, which the worldling de- 
rives from the exciting romance. 

It is surprising also to notice Ellen's in- 
dustry upon the Sabbath. With her various 
occupations it could never become a dull or 
gloomy day. It was not a burden imposed 
upon her by others, but a plan which she 
formed for herself, for her own benefit. It 
proves that the Sabbath can be made a happy 
day even to children; and if the earthly rest 
was so pleasantly occupied, we may have full 
confidence, that she was ready for the hea- 
venly, upon which she so soon and so sud- 
denly entered. 



CHAPTER VL 

THE CONFIRMATION. 

The time was now approaching for another I 
confirmation. Nearly a year had elapsed 
since the last, and it was natural, in view of 
all those deep feelings by which her heart ; 
had been exercised, that Ellen should think 
of coming forward as a candidate. She had 
listened with the utmost attention to the 
course of preparatory sermons which had 
been preached, and conversed freely about 
them from Sunday to Sunday with her pa- 
rents. It was no doubt a time of great trial 
and of earnest prayer. A decision must now 
be made in reference to the call, either to go 
forward or remain where she was. She was 
called upon in that rite to renew her bap- 
tismal vows and take upon herself the obliga- 
tions. She was called upon to say whether ^ 



THE CONFIRMATIOlSr. 73 

she would acknowledge Christ openly before 
the church and the world, and cast in her lot 
with the Lord's people, or be identified with 
the opposite class. There was no doubt in the 
minds of any who knew her, of her qualifica- 
tion for the rite ; the only doubt was with 
herself. Judging so modestly of her own. 
worth, writing so often bitter things against 
herself, diffident about her own religious 
state, and often fearing that she was acting 
with improper motives, it is not to be won- 
dered at that she had some trouble in deciding. 
She felt the earnest desire and realized it to 
be a duty ; and these at last prevailed over 
every other consideration, and she went for- 
ward. 

The confirmation was appointed for Wed- 
nesday evening, August 1st, 1849, and took 
place at an interesting time during the ses- 
sion of the northeastern convocation. Never 
shall we forget her appearance as she stood 
that night in the presence of a large congre- 
gation, with that small number at the chancel, 
robed in white, the outward emblem of her 
own purity and innocence, and received at 
7 



74 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

the hands of our beloved Bishop, that ancient 
rite. It was a scene of almost too deep and 
absorbing interest to be enjoyed, but one 
which angels would behold in its true light. 
Many a one can remember even the tones of 
our spiritual father's voice as he stood over 
this young disciple and prayed, '' Defend, 
Lord, this thy child with thy heavenly grace ; 
that she may continue thine for ever, and 
daily increase in thy Holy Spirit more and 
more, until she come unto thy everlasting 
kingdom;" and many a one in that crowded 
church was moved to tears at the sight so 
seldom witnessed, — a child giving herself to 
the service of God. It was a scene that can 
never fade from the memory of her young 
companions and friends; and it will often 
recur to her parents and family with solemn 
satisfaction. The rite had, in her case, the 
effect which it was intended to have in all. 
It did confirm and strengthen her. She felt 
that she had now taken a decided step. She 
had identified herself with the people of God. 
Her position was well defined. That renun- 
ciation of the world, its pomps, and vanities; 



THE CONFIRMATION. 75 

of the flesh and the devil; that declaration of 
faith; and that promise of obedience made in 
her early baptism, she had now renewed in 
the simple words ^^Ido." She had placed 
herself anew, and of her own accord, in cove- 
nant relation with God, and might thence- 
forth look for the promised grace. She could 
truly join in the language of the hymn that 
was then sung, and sing with the spirit as 
well as the understanding, — 

*^'Tis done, the great transaction's done; 

Deign, gracious Lord, to make me thine ; 
Help me through grace to follow on, 

Glad to confess thy voice divine. 

** Here rest my oft divided heart, 
Fixed on thy God, thy Saviour, rest; 

Who with the world would grieve to part, 
When called on angels' food to feast ? 

** High Heaven, that heard the solemn vow, 
That vow renewed shall daily hear, 

Till in life's latest hour I bow. 
And bless in death a bond so dear." 

Soon after her confirmation she wrote the 
following account of herself, which was found 
among her papers. 



76 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

"August 6th, 1849. 
"I do not know exactly whether I am a 
Christian or not. One reason why I doubt it 
is, because I have so little, perhaps no anxiety 
for the souls of others; but at any rate I will 
try by God's blessing to write a faithful ac- 
count of myself, my convictions, and feelings. 
Last summer I had many serious thoughts 
about my soul. I hope that I earnestly de- 
sired, and even longed to be a Christian, but 
I did not remain, if I recollect rightly, more 
than two or three days in an anxious and sad 
state, when one day I was sitting in this very 
room, and was, I believe, reading in the Bible, 
when I came to a verse something about be- 
lieving in Christ, and it seemed as if I could 
believe, and then I felt more peaceful and 
happy ; but I am afraid that perhaps since, I 
have felt a little disappointed that I did not 
have more ecstatic joy. I think the very 
next day, or soon after, I thought that I had 
not felt bad long enough. I have not that 
fervent love, those fervent desires for the 
glory of God which it seems to me most 
Christians have. Some weeks back I was 



THE CONFIRMATION. 77 

enveloped by dark doubts, and I think ever 
since have had more or less doubts (at times), 
of being a true Christian, but I hope that I 
am His for time and eternity. I have lately 
been reading books upon conversion, and have 
been much in the habit of retiring for secret 
reading and prayer. I hope I have enjoyed 
and do enjoy my Sabbaths, and I have formed 
a system to be observed on that day in regard 
to my reading, prayer, &c. I sometimes feel 
very cold, and have very little faith in my 
Saviour." 

This seems to end somewhat abruptly, as do 
several other of her similar meditations. She 
seized upon the passing moment to pen her 
thoughts as they came freshly into her mind, 
and was often called off in the midst of the 
exercise to some other duty ; but it is evident 
that she spent much time in this way, in the 
profitable work of self-examination. 

The same must be said of this as was said 
of the first letter which she addressed to her 
pastor, viz., that it is a remarhahle paper for 
one of her age. How few are ready to go 



78 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

into their chambers, and, with pen in hand, 
deal with their own souls with such unde- 
viating honesty ! If there was a single dark 
doubt, it must be brought into the open day- 
light. If there was a lingering defect in her 
experience, or a failure in any duty, it must 
be rectified. While, on the other hand, if 
there was a single hope or ground of confi- 
dence, it must be closely examined and never 
allowed more than its rightful influence ; too 
often le%B^ far less than justice required. 
But we have other papers to examine. 

'^ MEDITATION WRITTEN MONDAY AFTERNOON. 

^^ Last summer, I was awakened, I think 
in the month of August, and felt very badly 
two or three days, and found one day what 
was peace and joy in believing. But what 
have been my feelings since that time? I 
think I went on for a time comfortably, but 
oh how have doubts agitated me ! I am a 
poor miserable hard-hearted sinner. ^ how 
dark and vain and wild' is my heart ! I am 
afraid I have too much s^Zf-dependence. But 
oh help me to rely entirely on Christ for sal- 



I 



THE CONFIRMATION. 79 

vation ! I knoiv that there is no other way 
to be saved than relying on Christ, and by 
having faith in him ; and oh I must perse- 
vere in seeking till I find." 

We shall often be led to notice the emphatic 
manner in which she wrote. She indicated 
the deep feeling of her heart by the frequent 
use of italics ; and wherever this is observed 
in her writings it is her own. 

Sometimes her meditations would be ex- 
pressed still more strictly in the form of a 
prayer, like the two following : 

" I am a poor sinner in the sight of God, 
guilty of innumerable offences, of omission 
as well as commission. I have lived a life of 
indifference, or at least once did, and now 
have not that anxiety, intense anxiety which 
the consideration of the things of religion 
ought to produce. I do not, I am afraid, 
feel sin as much of a burden as I know I 
ought to ; but oh, heavenly Father, don't let 
me ever feel rebellious against thee, but oh 
help me to love holiness because thou lovest 



80 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

it ; and to hate sin because thou hatest it ! 
make me not so much to desire deliverance 
from the consequences as from the power of 
sin, for Jesus Christ's sake ! Amen." 

" I have lived all my life in secret if not 
open rebellion against God. I have despised 
the offers of mercy. This hard and wicked 
heart is constantly rebelling against all that 
is good. What sin ! how much of it is in 
my heart ! When Christ offers me eternal 
life^ I have not come to him with an humble 
and penitent heart ; but have, I am afraid, 
been conquered by pride, instead of conquer- 
ing it. But Jesus, have mercy upon me, 
and help me to be willing to give up any- 
thing for the sake of becoming a Christian ! 
Help me to know and to feel that it is my 
duty as well as my pleasure to love thee and 
serve thee, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen." 

These various papers, written in that spirit 
of truthfulness and candour for which Ellen 
was so remarkable, let us fully into her mind, 
her most secret thoughts. They are the out- 
ward expression of those feelings of which 



THE CONFIRMATION. 81 

she was plainly conscious. There was no 
concealment with her. She did not wish to 
be considered a Christian, if she were not 
such. She thought more humbly of herself 
than others thought of her. There was no 
show of affected piety; she was truthful in 
the most trivial things ; much more would 
she strive to be so in the momentously impor- 
tant subject of religion. 



CHAPTER VII. 

CHRISTIAN EFFORTS. 

It will be seen by referring to a previous 
paper, tbat she expressed a doubt as to her 
Christian character, because she had "so 
little, perhaps no anxiety for the souls of 
others." But here, as in many other cases, 
she was too modest to do herself justice. 
The manner in which to do good to the souls 
of others would not be so evident to the 
mind of a child, as to an adult ; and yet, 
when any act or plan of usefulness was pro- 
posed to her, it could be immediately seen 
that she was ready to do anything, or to 
make any sacrifice. She often wished to 
deny herself articles of luxury in her daily 
food, that she might devote the money saved 
thereby to purposes of benevolence. This 



CHRISTIAN EFFORTS. 83 

was in accordance with a plan proposed by a 
former pastor, that the children of the Sun- 
day school should earn the money which they 
contributed for missions, by some labour or 
self-denial, instead of depending upon their 
parents immediately for their weekly gift. 

Her father once proposed establishing a 
Sunday school in a neglected neighbourhood 
not far from their residence, at which her 
countenance lighted up with joy, and she 
clapped her hands, as if she had been invited 
to some party of pleasure, or interesting 
scene of recreation ; — and she would doubt- 
less have entered into it, had her life been 
spared, with all the zeal of a self-devoted 
missionary. 

But there are more tangible proofs of her 
interest in the spiritual welfare of others ; 
and her first afiectionate efibrts were put 
forth, where it is always so difficult to speak 
upon the subject of religion, — among the 
members of her own family. It is known 
that she wrote to both of her brothers, older 
than herself, but unfortunately her letters 
have not been preserved. The following is 



84 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

a fragment of the first draft of a letter writ- 
ten in pencil to one of them, found among 
her papers : 

" Dear , 

" Do you ever think about the things of 
religion ? let us be Christ's disciples ! 
how often have we grieved the Holy Spirit ! 
But still I trust there is mercy for us through 
the blood of Jesus Christ. It is no light 
thing to hear all the sermons that we do, 
and have all the means of grace that we 
have, and yet remain indifferent. And why 
should we remain indifferent? We each of 
us have souls to save. Our heavenly Father 
wants us to remember him now^ in the days 
of our youth. I dare say you will laugh at 

this note, but, , religion is a serious thing. 

Let us pray for ourselves ; and may we become 
true Christians." * * * * >k 

The following postscript was appended to 
one of her mother's letters, addressed to an- 
other brother. 

^^ Perhaps I have done wrong not to have 



I 
I 



CHRISTIAN EFFORTS. 85 

written to you for so long, but if I have, you 

must forgive me. , let us seek for peace 

with God 'now in the days of our youth.' 
Let us pray for each other, and let us 'strive 
to enter in at the strait gate.' " 

She had about this time listened to a ser- 
mon from the closing words of this postscript 
which may somewhat account for her earnest- 
ness. 

The following letter was written to Miss 
Butler, who it will be remembered from the 
introductory note at the commencement of 
the memoir, perished with her in the waters 
on that sad morning. It was left by Ellen in 
Miss B.'s work-basket, and was found there 
after her death. 



*^ Hillside, Wednesday evening. 

" Dear Ann : 

" do let us think about the things per- 
taining to our everlasting welfare. What 
would be more pleasant than for you and I 
to travel together the path that leads to hea- 
ven ? I know that I am exceedingly unwor- 
8 



86 ELLEN MAY AYOODWARD. 

thy, but I thought, perhaps it was my duty 
to Avrite to you on this subject. We know 
what our duty is. We know it is to repent 
of our sins before God, to believe in Jesus 
Christ, to have our entire trust in Him for 
salvation, and then will follow a life of holy 
heartfelt obedience. The promise of God 
is, — and we are told that God cannot lie, — 
Hhey that seek me early shall find me.' 
" From your affectionate friend, 

^' Ellen." 

It may be proper here to say a few words 
with regard to the young lady to whom this 
note was addressed. Ann Butler became an 
inmate of Judge Woodward's family in her 
early childhood, and remained there until the 
time of her death, with the exception of a few 
weeks spent at her sister's, after the time of 
Judge W.'s removal from Wilkesbarre to 
Hillside, on the opposite bank of the Susque- 
hanna. She was much beloved by all the 
family for her pleasing manners, her pecu- 
liarly sweet temper, and lovely disposition. 
She was ever found a most valuable assistant 



CHRISTIAN EFFORTS. 87 

in the care of the children, and grew up to be 
regarded as a daughter herself, sharing the 
privileges and companionship of the children 
of that household. She was some years older 
than Ellen, and there grew up between them a 
strong and ardent affection. They lived to- 
gether like sisters, and as sisters did they 
love each other. Up to the time of the re- 
moval, to which allusion has just been made, 
Ann was a member of St. Stephen's Sunday 
school, and was always regarded as an atten- 
tive and interesting scholar. She joined 
very readily in the before-mentioned Sunday 
afternoon exercise in the Judge's family, and 
always seemed interested in the subjects 
then discussed. During the winter previous 
to the removal of which we have here spoken, 
she began to manifest a deep anxiety about 
her soul, Avhile attending the sick-bed of a 
friend, in whose room prayer meetings were 
occasionally held by ministers of the Metho- 
dist Church; and under the influence of these 
circumstances, Ann took the preparatory 
steps towards a union with that church. 
After returning to Hillside, however, and 



S8 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

falling into the accustomed train of duties, 
she pursued the matter no further, little being 
said to her upon the subject of her parti- 
cular church connexion, from motives of deli- 
cacy, and a wish that she should not be over- 
influenced in her choice, though it would be 
most natural that the family should wish her 
to be connected with them in that deeply in- 
teresting relation. For the year previous to 
her death, she had attended church with 
them as before. She had made no farther 
progress towards a full profession, and yet, 
from her constant walk and character, from her 
interest in the means of grace, which were so 
freely open to her, and from the feeling at 
times manifested, we have good hope that her 
heart was right, and that the summons, sudden 
as it was, found her ready. Ellen's strong love 
for her early companion and friend, was seen 
in that last hour. She rushed forward to 
rescue the sinking ones, and exerted her ut- 
most strength to relieve them from their 
threatened destruction. What was said of 
Saul and Jonathan, may be truly said of 
them. " They were lovely and pleasant in 



CHRISTIAN EFFORTS. 89 

their lives ^ and in their death they were not 
divided.'' (1 Sam. i. 23.) 

The full influence of Ellen's walk and con- 
duct upon lier friend cannot here be known, 
but it was no doubt more than was apparent. 
The aflfectionate effort for her soul we have 
noticed, and we know that it was enforced by 
a faithful, daily Christian life. that all 
young disciples might be as faithful to their 
dear associates! How strongly would the 
gospel be felt in families, and schools; in 
neighbourhoods and communities ! The habit, 
too, would be early acquired, and that habit 
would be of inestimable worth as the child 
grew into youth, and youth became blended 
in man or womanhood, with all its important 
duties and vast responsibilities. It is from 
the want of such good and active habits de- 
veloped by young Christians during their 
early discipleship, that the church is so sadly 
suffering ; and by a want of which she is 
robbed of so much of her moral power. 
8^ 



CHAPTER VIIL 

THE COMMUNION. 

Our narrative now draws near the time 
when Ellen was about to approach the com- 
munion-table and remember her Saviour's 
parting command to his disciples, '' This do 
in remembrance of me." She felt the duty 
pressing upon her to participate in that se- 
cond and only other sacrament which our 
Lord has enjoined. She did not rush to that 
table in haste, as if everything had now been 
done, and the holy feast must be partaken of 
as a matter of course. Though she had trod- 
den the earlier stages of the Christian walk 
so carefully, she was yet desirous of leaving 
nothing undone, no duty unperformed, that 
would make her more ready for that solemn 
act. Though she was supposed by her pastor 



I 



THE COMMUNION. 91 

to be fully prepared, yet she was not urged, 
and the time when she would come was left 
mostly for herself to determine. It would 
seem that the qualifications required for con- 
firmation are as high in every particular as 
those for full communion; for they are pre- 
cisely the same as the candidate for adult 
baptism would be required to have when 
coming forward to that sacrament. There- 
fore a person who was prepared for the one 
would be prepared for the other, for in the 
rite of confirmation the candidate ratifies 
and acknowledges all that was previously 
done by sponsors in the early administration 
of the sacrament. Still it was thought best 
in Ellen's case that she should judge for her- 
self, and that she would be more satisfied, 
and the ordinance would be received with 
greater benefit, if she came after carefully 
making up her own mind, as upon a new pre- 
sentation of the question. And this seemed 
to be the result. 

In her little journal which she was at this 
time keeping, she makes the following note. 



92 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

'' To-day Mr. Miles talked with me about 
coming to the communion, but I told him I 
thought that I had better wait till another 
time." 

This has no date except "Saturday even- 
ing/' but it must have been about the first of 
October. The next day we have another, as 
follows : 

" Sunday evening. To-day I did not par- 
take of the communion. I thought perhaps 
I had better wait till another occasion, which 
would give me more time to think about it ; 
but perhaps I ought to have partaken to- 
day." 

She first came to the communion on the 
first Sunday in November, 1849 ; and we find 
in her journal the following mention of it : 

'' Sunday evening. This morning partook 
for the first time of the holy communion; 
was not as much aS*ected by it as I ought to 
have been, but hope it may be blest to my 
souL" 



THE COMMUNION. 93 

The next occasion was the first Sunday in 
December ; and we find another brief notice 
of it : 

" Sunday evening. To-day partook of the 
holy communion, and hope it was and may 
be blest to my soul." 

The last time she received the communion 
was on that bright Christmas morning, when 
we entered our freshly wreathed courts to 
give praise for a Saviour's birth ; and before 
another season of the church on earth, she 
was enjoying a better communion with the 
saints in that upper and better temple. 

There have been few Christians, probably, 
who have derived so much benefit from this 
ordinance, for the few times it was received, 
as Ellen did; and she enjoyed it all the 
more, and the benefit resulting from it was 
the greater, from the manner in which it was 
approached. It was used as a means of 
grace, and not as an outward rite, which as 
a matter of course would constitute her a 
Christian. It was accompanied with the 



94 ELLEIT MAY WOODWARD. 

most faithful self-examination, with medita- 
tion and prayer; and it had the eJBTect, doubt- 
less designed by the divine Saviour himself, 
in leaving that memorial of his love, viz. : of 
quickening love in return, operating as a 
renewal of the Christian profession, and act- 
ing as a means of grace to strengthen and 
comfort. It had the effect alluded to in 
Article XXV., where, in speaking of the 
sacraments, it is said that by them God 
" doth not only quicken, but also strengthen 
and confirm our faith in him." Certain it 
is, that she received great comfort, and her 
Christian character became more definitely 
settled. She still pursued a rigorous course 
with regard to herself; but she had taken 
every outward step required, she had iden- 
tified herself fully with the church in all its 
interests, and she was now enjoying in some 
good measure a reward of peace. We may 
bless God when we remember her case, that 
in his wisdom he furnished such means to 
comfort and strengthen his own children ; 
and we may also see how necessary it is, that 
all who would wish to enjoy the condition of 



THE COMMUNION. 95 

his children, either here or in the world to 
come, should go faithfully forward in the way 
of duty as Ellen did. 

Perhaps, at this stage, our young readers 
may wish to know more particularly what was 
Ellen's general appearance as she mingled 
among her companions. So many have the 
erroneous impression that religion is a gloomy 
subject, it may be well to disabuse their 
minds by referring to our young friend, just 
as she appeared. We have already spoken 
of her as having an exceedingly happy dis- 
position : and no one was more universally 
beloved among her school-mates and com- 
panions for those traits that endear the 
young to each other. There was nothing in 
the least demure or repulsive in her habits. 
She acted with the simplicity of a child 
whose life was happy, because her heart was 
right. And who can be more really happy 
than the true Christian, whose daily bless- 
ings come from a heavenly Father's hand ? 

The following note from her father will 
throw more positive light upon her character 
and habits : 



96 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

" She was gay and frolicsome among her 
young companions, exceedingly fond of fun. 
Mirthfulness and joy marked all her inter- 
course in society, insomuch that a superficial 
observer would not have distinguished her in 
a group of girls, except perhaps for her live- 
liness and buoyancy. And yet these things 
would have been observable : 1st, that her 
sports and mirthfulness and gaiety were all 
innocent; 2d, that her strict conscientious- 
ness would appear the instant there was any 
approach to that which was wrong or ques- 
tionable. For example : in a walk over the 
hills with some girls, their path led across a 
neighbour's grain-field. She hesitated and 
doubted, though I believe she followed the 
rest, but afterward made it the subject of 
anxious inquiry with her mother, and be- 
trayed uneasiness and sorrow on account of 
the trespass, though the grain being young 
no damage was done, and the owner living 
out of the sight of the field had no knowledge 
and could have none of the fact. Romping 
with some girls at school, they went into a 
vacant room, in violation of a general rule 



THE COMMUNION. 97 

of the seminary. She sought Miss D.'s for- 
giveness, and recorded the fault in her jour- 
nal. Last summer she went with a party of 
young companions to Harvey's Lake. The 
day was pleasantly spent, and full of adven- 
ture. When the party returned, they hasten- 
ed to recount to the family the events of the 
day; but it was observed that Ellen, who 
had come in with the rest, and greeted those 
who remained at home, was missing. She 
had retired to her chamber for reading, medi- 
tation, and prayer." In the words of her 
mother : " Thus was it constantly apparent, 
that though as fond of recreation, particu- 
larly the pleasures of the country, as any 
one, and sometimes carried away by her 
naturally high spirits, so as to be, as she 
often called herself, wild ; — when the excite- 
ment of the occasion was over, her thoughts 
returned to their accustomed channel, and 
her religious duties were not neglected." 



CHAPTER IX. 

ELLEN'S JOURNAL. 

Another incident in the religious life of 
the subject of this memoir, which shows that 
she was in earnest in the work upon which 
she had entered, is the journal which she 
kept. The Christian name and profession 
which she had assumed were not enough. 
She was ready to make use of every means 
that could assist her in spiritual improve- 
ment and growth. In furtherance of this, 
a diary was commenced, according to the re- 
commendation of a writer from whose book 
she derived much benefit. Her mother has 
transcribed the following notes, which we 
here insert with the accompanying expla- 
nation : 



Ellen's journal. 99 

" Dear Ellen's simple little diary consists 
entirely of confessions of her daily sins, with 
scarce any remark or reflections. She was 
probably induced to commence it, from hav- 
ing read something on the subject in 'Ab- 
bott's Young Christian,' a book of which she 
was very fond. In a chapter devoted to 
'Personal Improvement,' under the head of 
correcting faults^ he advises going into mi- 
nute detail in private prayer ; and as a mode 
of correcting particular faults, to confess 
them in writing. Her object then, no doubt 
was, to confess her faults in writing, that she 
might the more forcibly impress them on her 
mind, before her final prayer on retiring 
to rest. This duty of kneeling in private 
prayer before she retired, she never neglect- 
ed under any circumstances, not even when 
young friends were staying with her, whom 
she knew to be indifferent on the subject of 
religion, and who must witness this perform- 
ance of her duty. She was equally punctual 
on rising in the morning, never suffering the 
presence of others, nor the hurry of prepara- 
tion for breakfast, nor severity of weather, to 



100 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

hinder her from the duty the moment she 
left her bed. 

" There are several scraps of paper on 
which she had written instances of some parti- 
cular fault ; but the first little book, appears 
to have been commenced ' August Tth, 1849.' 
She did not at first write every evening, but 
at intervals sometimes of two or three days. 
This work she appears to have continued for 
a month or more ; but there are so few dates 
by days of the month, as to make it difficult 
to tell the exact time. She dates by the 
days of the week, and I should think, after 
about the first of September, the days are 
put down successively without any intermis- 
sion. This diary was kept entirely for her 
own benefit, without the least idea that any 
one would ever see it, and probably with the 
intention of destroying it, after keeping it a 
time for review, as Mr. Abbott recommends. 
Indeed she may have destroyed some of the 
books which were first written, though I 
rather think not. Of course there are many 
things relating to family and school afiairs 
which it is not proper that any but her most 



ELLEN'S JOURNAL. 101 

intimate friends should read. Indeed I al- 
most feel myself, as though. I were doing 
wrong in thus looking into the recesses of 
her heart. She was so very candid and con- 
fiding, telling me so freely all her faults, 
that I did not wish to know anything which 
she felt was entirely between herself and her 
God. For this reason, though I knew that 
she was in the habit of writing something 
every night, I never asked her to tell me 
what it was, nor did I ever read a word of it 
until after her death. I will only copy a 
few things here and there, which may serve 
to show the low estimation in which she held 
herself both in the sight of God and man." 

"August 7th, 1849. Have felt dull to- 
day. This afternoon had a season of re- 
freshment. Am entirely too much devoted 
to self, and live too little to the glory of 
God. 

" Have felt doubtful to-day as to my true 

religious character, and have doubts almost 

constantly. Have felt, I am afraid, part of 

the time a distaste for the pleasures of reli- 

9* 



102 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

gion. Have felt rather better this afternoon, 
which good feeling I generally obtain by 
reading and prayer." 

^'To-day have not felt that earnest long- 
ing after holiness of heart, which I know I 
ought to feel. Have been a little tyrannical. 
Have had many proud thoughts." 

"Have felt about as usual to-day. Have 
been rather too wild. Have not had much 
spiritual-mindedness. ' ' 

"Have felt as usual to-day. Have given 
way to my wicked temper sometimes. Have 
been very jealous." 

" Saturday evening. To-day have felt 
some little submission of heart to God. 
Have not felt so much anxiety about having 
my sins pardoned." 

"I have had much pride and jealousy to- 
day, and have spoken cross several times, 
and have been very selfish." 

" To-day have felt cold and indifferent 
comparatively. Because I did a few acts of 
kindness, felt very proud about it, and did 
them more from motives of pure selfishness 
than from love to God." 



ELLEN'S JOURNAL. 103 

" Saturday evening. To-day have felt 
some little submission of heart to God. It 
seems as if I had no more those longings after 
being God's child that I once had. I am 
constantly so cold and indifferent it almost 
discourages me. Oh, it is no wonder that I 
should feel so indifferent, when I think how 
worldly I have been. How often I have done 
what was wrong. I ought to be filled with 
shame." 

" Sunday evening. I have been trying to 
review the past week to-day, and find that I 
have been living far away from God. Have 
felt my heart a little warmed by the exercises 
of the day, but am afraid that with to-morrow 
will return my accustomed indifference." 

" To-day have felt no more love than usual. 
that God would breathe into my soul more 
hope, desires, and feelings." 

" To-day have been very foolish, have said 
many proud things, and have been too little 
like Christ." 

" Saturday evening. To-day have felt but 
little fervour, but to-night ma has been talk- 
ing with me and tells me, as she has told 



104 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

me before, that everything does not depend 
upon the feelings in religion, but that we 
ought to carry religion into everything we 
do. Spoke rather impatiently to ma and 
grand-ma to-day. 

" To-day have not had that wish to do 
right, which I should think a Christian would 
have." 

^' To-day there were exercises in the morn- 
ing, and I had much pride. This noon the 
girls were going somewhere on a kind of ex- 
cursion, and asked me to go with them, but 
I refused, for which I was very glad, for I 
found afterwards that ma did not wish me to 
go. But I ought not to have gone, because 
I do not think my heavenly Father would 
approve of it, although they did get excused 
from school." 

" This afternoon M. H. gave me (what I 
considered) quite a compliment, and it made 
me feel very proud. This afternoon Miss D. 
reproved me for something, and I answered 
back, which was very wrong. This morning 
I forgot all about reading and praying till 



ELLEN'S JOURNAL. 105 

school-time, when I tried to perform these 
duties, but did not succeed very well." 

" Have talked a great deal of foolishness to- 
day, and I am afraid vexed my dear mother/' 

" Sunday evening. To-day have so squan- 
dered my time, that I have not fulfilled the 
system I laid out for spending Sunday in but 
one respect, and that is in regard to examin- 
ing my conduct during the past week, which 
I tried to do." 

'^ To-night I was afraid to go up stairs to 
pray, and prayed a little while ago down 
here." 

(It ought to be mentioned here that Ellen 
was constitutionally timid. She was in the 
habit of retiring to a room up stairs for 
prayer immediately after tea. Her own 
room being on the lowest floor, she would be 
subject there to more interruptions at that 
hour.) 

'' Saturday evening. Spoke rather disre- 
spectfully to ma of some one else, or was go- 
ing to when she stopped me. Went over to 



106 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

town to-day, and have had many proud feel- 
ings. Was rather afraid to go up stairs to- 
night to pray, and tried to ease my con- 
science in putting it off this late, thinking 
* Well, I will do it as soon as cousins M. and 
L. (who are here) are gone,' and thus have 
not done it as yet when I am going to bed.'' 

'' Sunday evening. Have had, I hope, a 
little more fervency of spirit to-day than 
usual, though I have not performed my duties 
with the zeal which I ought to manifest." 

^'Monday evening. To-day have stayed 
at home, (ma being sick,) and therefore have 
not had the same temptations that I have at 
school." 

" Friday evening. Have been too much car- 
ried away by high spirits, and consequently 
have sometimes acted very wildly. Have 
wasted a great deal of time to-day, and have 
not had constantly in my mind that the all- 
seeing eye of God was upon me." 

" Sunday evening. Have, I hope, tried 
to-day to live nearer to God than for some 
time past. Last night ma and I had a long 



ELLEN'S JOUENAL. 107 

conversation, which, I hope, had some good 
efifect upon me.'' 

" Friday evening. This morning perhaps 
I failed in duty in not asking ma to forgive 
me for something I did yesterday, but, per- 
haps it was not worth while." 

"It might be remarked here, that poor 
Ellen's conscientiousness led her often to ask 
me to forgive her for offences which I was 
hardly conscious she had committed, and I 
had often answered her in such a way as to 
make her think it was foolish to be so parti- 
cular. Many times she consulted me about 
asking pardon of her teachers and others, for 
offences she had committed, which, in many 
instances I discouraged, fearing that she 
would annoy them. I wish now that I had 
not done so. Throughout her journal cases 
are recorded constantly of offences committed 
at school, which are so interwoven with the 
names of others, that they cannot well be 
here inserted. In one or two instances she 
reproaches herself for not having asked the 
pardon of her teachers for these offences." 



108 ELLEK MAY WOODWARD. 

"Friday eyening. Had that same fear 
about going up stairs again to-night, and knelt 
down here in my bed-room. Just now Cousin 
M., who is here, came into my room, and 
while here, asked me if I was writing, and 
said I ought not to do so in the cold. I was 
ashamed to tell her what I was writing.'' 

" Sunday evening. To-day have spent an 
idle day. Have not tried to examine my 
faults during the past week. Did not look 
over the events of this day till a little before 
I went to church, and then I am afraid did 
it rather imperfectly. I have such a great 
habit of procrastination, putting off till the 
next moment, what ought to be done now. 

" I am a very great coward. I am afraid 
that I have not that confidence in God's pro- 
tecting power which would give me true cou- 
rage. To-night I showed cowardice to a great 
extent, about a very little matter, and was 
afraid to go up stairs after tea to pray. 
Have not endeavoured as much as possible to 
make others happy, but have been selfish." 

These extracts are suflBicient to show the 



Ellen's journal. 109 

character of her journal. There could not 
be much in the even tenor of her life to give 
variety or striking incident to such a diary; 
and yet the true Christian character often 
shines out the clearest in the most common 
and every-day events of home and school. 
This journal she kept to the close of her short 
life, and the last entry was made the very 
night before her death. 

It may strike some who read this narrative, 
that these extracts do not show that Ellen 
felt much confidence in her own Christian cha- 
racter, and that they hardly accord with that 
comfort and happiness which she is said to 
have received from a participation in the ordi- 
nances, and an effort to walk correctly in the 
path of duty. But it must be remembered 
that we are here seeing the worst of her. She 
is speaking not to us, but laying bare her 
heart in the presence of that Grod who was 
searching it. It was a part of the very de- 
sign of the exercise to criminate herself. It 
was not to write about her better feelings, 
her joys, and her hopes, but to examine her- 
self and truly repent her of her faults. It 
10 



110 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

has before been remarked that she had faults, 
and there was no disposition to disguise them. 
But it must also be apparent that none were 
more aware of them than herself, and in many 
instances they were condemned by herself 
when no one else observed them. She often 
speaks of her pride, her jealousy, her temper, 
&c., but she detected them far sooner than 
others did, and truly deplored them. God's 
word says, " He that covereth his sin shall 
not prosper; but whoso confesseth and for- 
saketh them shall have mercy." And our 
Saviour says, ''Blessed are the poor in spirit; 
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven;" "He 
that humbleth himself shall be exalted," and 
many other words of similar import he ad- 
dresses to those who are dealing honestly 
with their own hearts, and trying to cleanse 
their way by ruling themselves after His holy 
word. These admissions and confessions are 
rather, on the contrary, a strong proof of 
her Christian character and growth in grace ; 
for sensitiveness on account of sin is always 
a good and healthy indication, showing the 
operations of God's spirit. We do see that 



Ellen's journal. Ill 

Ellen was extremely sensitive, while at the 
same time she was very careful, in view of her 
many short-comings, how she allowed herself 
to indulge a hope of her Christian character 
and condition. 

Should every one pursue the same course, 
and, as in the sight of Grod, drag to light 
every hidden sin and pen it down as faith- 
fully, there are few who would escape doubts 
or fail of seeing still more strongly their need 
of a Saviour, instead of a reliance upon their 
own imperfect righteousness. Let any one 
begin to note his sins of omission or of com- 
mission in the light of God's law, and he 
must soon give up all hope of being saved by 
anything but faith in Christ. "If thou, 
Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is done 
amiss, Lord, who may abide it ? For there 
is mercy with thee; therefore shalt thou be 
feared." It was that mercy through Christ 
in which Ellen hoped and rejoiced, and under 
the influence of that hope, after her day of 
deep spiritual trial had passed, and with the 
assistance of the various means of grace, she 



112 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

was becoming an active and happy Christian, 
ripening, as her friends thought, for -useful- 
ness in her sphere of life on earth; but as 
God saw, preparing for an early translation. 



CHAPTER X. 

THE SUDDEN CALAMITY. 

We now hasten to review the incidents 
which cluster around the close of Ellen's life. 

The day before Christmas, Judge Wood- 
ward returned from attending his courts, 
bringing with him Miss Mary R. Benner, the 
daughter of a widowed lady of Bellefonte, 
who had for some time been anticipating the 
pleasure of a visit to the Judge's family at 
Hillside. She was a lovely and favourite 
child, and had been intrusted by her mo- 
ther to the Judge's care with much confi- 
dence. Though somewhat incommoded by 
the inclemency of the weather, they arrived 
in safety on Christmas Eve, and were ready 
on the coming day to engage in the public 
festal services of the church, and the more 
10^ 



114 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

social enjoyments of a family gathering at 
home. Ellen had been looking forward to 
the promised visit of her new acquaintance 
with much delight, and it was a period of 
great enjoyment to them all. The time was 
mostly occupied with those happy employ- 
ments around the hearth-stone, varied by 
occasional visits to their friends in Wilkes- 
barre. During this period Ellen might have 
been observed in her happiest mood, gracing 
the family circle with all that was lovely, 
entertaining her new friend and visiter with 
that ability and modesty for which she was 
so distinguished, and yet never failing in all 
this new train of circumstances to keep up the 
faithful performance of her religious duties. 
A mind far less disposed towards serious 
things than Miss Benner's might have felt 
the pure and gentle influence which was daily 
exercised. About the middle of January, 
their plans for the visit were suddenly inter- 
rupted by the overflow of the Susquehanna, 
caused by the ice forming a dam below, by 
which the flats were submerged, and all com- 
munication cut ofi* with Wilkesbarre^ except 



SUDDEN CALAMITY. 115 

by means of the skiffs by whicb persons were 
ferried across, two quite deep places of water 
covering the main road. This prevented the 
family from crossing to attend church. In 
the ensuing week the river was completely 
frozen, and the whole flats presented the ap- 
pearance of a sheet of ice. 

On Saturday morning, the 19th of January, 
Ellen and two younger sisters, together with 
Miss Benner, Ann Butler, and Mary Eliza- 
beth Totten, (who resided in the immediate 
neighbourhood,) started out for their recrea- 
tion, and went upon the ice formed over a 
little rivulet near the house, running into the 
river a few rods below. The ice seemed to 
bear them well, and their father saw them as 
he passed near them to go over to Wilkes- 
barre. Ellen greeted him in her usual, happy 
manner, and, waving her handkerchief with the 
rest, passed rapidly over to the flats between 
the house and the river. Their purpose, as 
expressed, was to go as far as the ice would 
bear them, in order to see if they could cross 
the next morning to attend church in Wilkes- 
barre. Thus coursing on in fancied security 



116 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

and high enjoyment, suddenly Miss Benner 
broke through the ice in a place made a little 
concave by a swale in the land. Miss Butler 
ran to her assistance, and likewise fell in, when 
Ellen ran to the rescue of both. At this 
juncture Miss Totten broke through the ice 
near by, though in a place not so deep, and was 
enabled to restrain the younger children from 
going to their sister, in which act they would 
probably have lost their own lives without 
aiding the others. Ellen remained for a few 
minutes with her head above the water, and 
urged the others to run for aid, saying that 
she thought she could hold her place for some 
time. They first turned towards the house, 
but soon observed that they were nearer the 
main road and would be more likely to obtain 
assistance there. But by the time any aid 
could be procured, and the bodies extricated 
and removed to the nearest house, life was 
extinct. Abundant medical aid was soon at 
hand, and everything that was possible done 
to revive them, but in vain. A boy had been 
despatched to Judge Woodward, who was at 
his ofiice in Wilkesbarre, and he arrived at 



SUDDEN CALAMITY. 117 

the place where the bodies lay just as all hope 
had been given up. The lifeless remains were 
then removed to Hillside, from whence the 
departed ones had gone out in full life and 
health an hour or two before. Thus suddenly 
passed away the spirit of Ellen with her two 
lovely companions. It was a day of darkness 
and sorrow which will be long remembered by 
the living. Death had been busily at work, 
and many a heart had felt the pang. It was 
one of those overwhelming events which hin- 
der the utterance of words, and prompt relief 
through tears. It was but the night before 
when three lovely girls could be seen seated 
around a table, full of life and buoyancy, 
laying their mutual plans for future happi- 
ness, arranging their correspondence to pro- 
long the new-made friendship, and on Satur- 
day evening, at the same hour, the same three 
were laid in an adjoining room in the embrace 
of death; and at that same table were seated 
three ladies making their shrouds. Such are 
the alternations of this mortal life! We 
"fade away suddenly like the grass. In the 
morning it is green and groweth up ; but in 



118 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

the evening it is cut down, dried up, and 
withered/' "Be ye also ready; for in such 
an hour as ye think not, the Son of man 
Cometh." 

It is difficult to speak of the intense interest 
which was manifested throughout the commu- 
nity from the moment the event was known. 
The ensuing night was an agitated and sleepless 
one to many a household. Anxious friends 
were continually arriving to mingle their tears 
with the afflicted family; and many persons 
came with curiosity from the whole surround- 
ing country to look upon the face of death. 

The body of Miss Benner, was conveyed 
from Hillside on Sunday morning to arrive 
as early as possible at that home to which 
she had expected to return the same week 
in health and happiness, to greet her widowed 
mother. But alas, the changes of life! that 
mother received but the lifeless form of her 
once beloved daughter ! She experienced 
in that trying hour the consolations of the 
religion she had professed, which alone could 
mitigate the severity of the stroke. 

Miss Benner had long been connected with 



SUDDEN CALAMITY. 119 

the Sunday school of St. John's Church, Belle- 
fonte. She had been a member of the Bible 
class instructed by their faithful rector. Rev. 
G. W. Natt, then absent to regain his health, 
and she had continued in it under the present 
minister, up to the time of leaving home with 
Judge Woodward to make her visit at his 
house. The full result of that instruction 
upon which she had attended, we do not know, 
but it is known that she had expressed the 
determination to offer herself as a candidate 
for baptism after her return. She is spoken 
of in the highest terms by those who had long 
known her, and it is but justice to her memory 
to say, that she had endeared herself to her 
new acquaintances by her amiable character 
and deportment. 



CHAPTER XL 



THE FUNEEAL. 



1 



The funeral of Ellen and Ann Butler took 
place from Hillside on Monday morning, 
January 21st, and though the roads were 
still obstructed with ice and water, (after 
much kind effort had been used by the people 
of the neighbourhood to clear them,) it was 
considered the largest funeral that had ever 
been seen in Wilkesbarre. Many others were 
prevented from attending by the state of the 
roads. It was a day of heartfelt mourning 
among the teachers and scholars of the 
'' Wyoming Seminary" where Ellen attended, 
and they were present in a body. The last 
sad offices of the church to which she belonged 
were said at her grave as her body was com- 
mitted to the ground, '^ earth to earth, ashes 



THE FUNERAL. 121 

to ashes, dust to dust," looking forward with 
strong faith to her joyful resurrection at the 
last day. In the services of that church, 
she had been dedicated to God in early bap- 
tism. She had ratified those vows in confir- 
mation, and gone forward to full communion ; 
in her short journey she had been many times 
refreshed by the Sabbath services of that 
church, and now by this closing act her mor- 
tal remains were hid from view, in a confident 
hope that her freed spirit was joining a 
better worship in heaven. 

A few days after Ellen's death, the follow- 
ing extract from "The Casket," a manuscript 
periodical, containing the weekly compositions 
of the young ladies of the " Wyoming Semi- 
nary," was published in the " Farmer and 
Journal," at Wilkesbarre. 

"A formal announcement of the melan- 
choly event which has clad our once gay and 
joyous paper in the sombre hue of mourning, 
is foreign from our purpose. Not one of our 
grief-stricken circle, but feels, already pain- 
fully and deeply feels, Mien is no more. 
11 



122 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

"Peaceful was her young heart, light her 
gentle footstep, and calm her deep and 
thoughtful eyes, that seemed to borrow their 
brightness from a purer source than the far- 
off sky's deep azure, as she left these halls 
on Friday evening to meet with us on Mon- 
day. Did we meet ? — the living and the 
dead ! we met indeed our Ellen, but how 
changed ! The eye, no longer radiant with 
intelligence and love, slept beneath its pale 
and blue-veined curtain, whose silken fringe 
lay heavy on a cheek whence the crimson 
lifetide had receded to mantle them no more. 
The bouiiding pulses slumbered motionless, 
for their gushing fountain suddenly grew still. 
Looked we indeed on Ellen ? Nay, 'twas but 
the gem-robbed casket. The jewel that once 
adorned it — the spirit that we loved, had de- 
parted. Bursts from our lips the expression, 
'Mysterious, that she passed away so soon!' 
Oh ! would it not have been more mysterious 
had she lingered longer with us — had one so 
pure, so lovely, long continued an inhabitant 
of earth ? Who that knew her as we have 



THE FUNERAL. 123 

known her, so generous, so self-sacrificing, so 
careful of another's feelings, and above all 
so careful of doing wrong, so anxious to pre- 
pare for eternity, could wonder that her so- 
journ here was short — that her ' sun at dawn 
went down.' 

" A twelvemonth has not passed since even 
amid the hurry, confusion, and care preced- 
ing the anniversary of our seminary — cares 
that too often cause devotion's fires to wane 
in more experienced Christian hearts — Ellen 
sought and found the peace that is not of 
earth, ^ peace with God through our Lord 
Jesus Christ.' 

'^ And shall we murmur now that the wing 
so early plumed for flight, is calmly folded 
on a brighter shore ? That the fair exotic is 
so soon reblooming in its native bed ? No. 
Earth hath toil and weariness for the most 
untiring pinion ; — storms, clouds, and dark- 
ness for its fairest, loveliest flower. We mourn 
indeed, our happy circle broken — we miss 
her joyous face, kind words, and soul of pu- 
rity. Long, long shall we mourn her, but in 
resignation to Him, 'who,' in the language 



124 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

of her favourite song, 'doeth all things 
well.' 

** Then, Ellen, onr tears shall fond memories only 
Awake from their fountain to flow o'er thy sleep, 

Though dark be thy dreamless bed, solemn and lonely, 
Heaven's watchers above thee their vigils shall keep. 

«< Affection, that planted the rose and the willow, 
That reareth the marble o'er the mouldering dust, 

Shall still make her bosom the slumberer's pillow, 
Still garner her treasures — fond Memory's trust. 

*^ Yet not here in the grave think we only of Ellen, 
Visions fairer than day-dreams are gathering nigh, 

Of a form that we loved, with a golden harp swelling, 
'Mid seraphim choir, the glad triumph on high." 

On the Sunday following the funeral, the 
rector of St. Stephen's endeavoured to im- 
prove the afflictive event in a sermon ad- 
dressed to the church and congregation and 
Sunday school of which Ellen was a member. 
It may be regarded as not inappropriate to 
make a few extracts in connexion with her 
history and the details of the accident. 



THE FUNERAL. 125 

" Dear hearers, is not the present a time 
when we almost instinctively turn to the 
word of God for comfort and support, amid 
the trials incident to our day ? It is not on 
the distant ocean that death has been busy in 
his work, and among those attached to us by 
the ties of common humanity and a kindred 
capacity for suffering. It is not in some dis- 
tant city that the heavy and repeated stroke 
has fallen upon those whose names only are 
known to us through the public prints. 
Death's heavily charged arrow has been 
launched much nearer to us all. This whole 
community has been overwhelmed in one 
common sorrow, and an event appalling in 
its extent and suddenness has shaken those 
tender sensibilities with no ordinary violence. 
It has reached far down below the outer sur- 
face of human feeling ; it has affected the 
stoutest heart, and caused the least sensitive 
chord to vibrate. I should in vain attempt to 
express in words the deep interest which has 
pervaded this whole population, and which, 
like- the suddenly agitated wave, has been 
11^ 



126 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

spreading outward in widely extending circles, 
as the news of that sad morning flew from 
heart to heart. It was such a scene as the 
most indifferent will care not soon to witness; 
and God grant that the message of warning 
contained in it may be so impressed upon all 
the living, that we shall not need its repeti- 
tion for years to come. His providence has 
spoken loudly to us in this awfully sudden 
event, and given us a sermon which can 
hardly be forgotten, on the alternations of 
this changing life. He has given force to 
his own word by the manner in which he has 
spoken to us, and to that same word would 
that spirit draw us for comfort in the hour of 
trial. ' We know not what a day may bring 
forth,' says his word; and how little did our 
three young friends, who sat together one 
evening laying their plans for future happy 
intercourse, know what a day would bring 
forth to them ! Nor did they know what a 
single hour would bring forth, when on that 
morning they started out with life, and health, 
and cheerfulness for their daily recreation. 



1 



THE FUNERAL. 127 

how vast a change will one short hour pro- 
duce ! We see the angel of death slowly and 
silently accomplishing his work in the aged 
pilgrim, who has long travelled life's weary 
road, and we are hardly surprised when the 
last word is spoke and the pulses cease to 
beat ; but here the warm life-blood has been ar- 
rested while coursing through the veins. The 
thought is stopped in the midst of utterance, 
and the strength is paralysed in its fulness. 
Youth is no safety, it fails in the midst of its 
highest loveliness, and buoyant hopes are 
crushed in the full tide of enjoyment, while on 
every side the note of wailing suddenly suc- 
ceeds. Truly ^our life is even as a vapour that 
appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth 
away.' ' Man's days are as grass ; as a flower 
of the field so he flourisheth; in the morning it 
is green and groweth up ; in the evening it is 
cut down and withered. The wind passeth 
over it and it is gone, and the place thereof 
shall know it no more.' Has not all this 
been painfully apparent in the event which 
has thrilled the heart of this community ? 



128 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

^^But it has come nearer to us. It has^ 
made a breach in our church and congrega- 
tion. It has caused vacant seats in this 
house. It has filled to overflowing the cup of 
family sorrow, and caused the tears of friend- 
ship and sympathy to flow freely. Out of one 
house did the angel of death call them ; but 
his message comes to three stricken families. 
One widowed mother has been looking for the 
return of a beloved daughter from a visit of 
much anticipated pleasure. But, with a short 
warning, she beholds in the embrace of death 
that daughter's lovely form. An aged father 
and mother are summoned to the last sad 
rites of one dear to them ; the second child 
by them committed to the grave within a 
twelvemonth. And another family is be- 
reaved in both these instances in addition to 
the loss of their eldest daughter, cut ofi* by 
the same sad stroke. Is it wonderful that a 
wide-spread and spontaneous sympathy has 
been gushing forth towards these bereaved 
ones, and that every heart, moved by the 
kindred impulses of our nature, has been 



THE FUNERAL. 129 

prompt to contribute its share of aid or con- 
solation ? In such an hour it is more than 
becoming, it is an imperative duty that the 
minister of religion should fulfil his com- 
mission by seeking to improve the event to 
their hearts, which have been so suddenly 
struck with this near view of death, and that 
he should point the afflicted ones to the only 
source of comfort. 

"'Are not two sparrows sold for a far- 
thing ? And one of them shall not fall on 
the ground without your Father.' how 
grateful to the heart, in this sad hour, to have 
such a source of comfort, and to experience 
the truth that he does not willingly afflict or 
grieve the children of men ! Where else 
shall we go to find such assurances as our 
Saviour gave his disciples? The sparrow 
might fall to the ground, but it would not be 
without the hand of God. The lilies of the 
field did neither toil nor spin, and yet they 
were clad in a beauty more exquisite than 
Solomon's. The fowls of heaven, which 
neither sowed nor reaped, nor gathered into 
storehouse, were yet the objects of their 



130 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

Creator's care. Of two little birds, so insig- 
nificant in man's estimation that they were 
only a farthing's worth, not one could fall 
without his knowledge or permission. Do 
not these facts from his word and providence 
unite in speaking to us this day, and gather- 
ing strength through this sad occurrence by 
which they speak, convey a solemn lesson to 
each heart ? 

^' And what, dear hearers, does this provi- 
dence say to us ? It says. Be ye also ready, 
for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son 
of man may come.J Three weeks ago, this 
day, our three young friends were in this 
house for the last time. A fortnight since, 
while prevented from attending their accus- 
tomed place of worship, they sat side by side 
in another house of God, listening for the last 
time to the preached word, in a peculiarly 
solemn and timely sermon.* And, but one 

■^ Extract from theKev. Mr. Nelson's sermon the Sun- 
day before the sudden calamity. — After speaking of the 
frailty of life, as apparent from the mechanism of the 
body, he said : 

**In view of these considerations, who does not feel 



THE FUNERAL. 131 

week yesterday morning, when they started 
out for their pleasant walk, they had the still 

constrained to exclaim, * I am fearfully and wonderfully- 
made!' How irresistible is the conviction that our 
existence here for a term of years, amidst the innu- 
merable casualties of life, is more a matter of surprise 
than expectation, — a sort of standing miracle ? It is 
often said that when one goes to sea, there is only a 
plank between him and death, while the great mass of 
men seem unconscious that every moment there is 
but a delicate, gauze-like membrane between them and 
death; and that a blow, apparently insignificant, may- 
serve to break the golden bowl, and sever the silver 
cord. ^ In the midst of life we are in death.' No age 
nor rank ts exempt from the destroyer. 

" '■ Leaves have their time to fall, 

And flowers to wither at the north wind's breath, 

And stars to set— but all, 

Thou hast all seasons for thine own, Death!* 

s 

*^ Those of this audience, whose prospects of long life 
are most flattering, may be the first who shall fall in 
death. The summons may come as sudden and unlook- 
ed for as the peal of thunder from the cloudless sky. 
Though your sun of life may not yet have reached its 
meridian, or may still be far up in the mid-heavenS; 
and the afternoon of many years be spread out in the 
distance, yet it may suddenly set, and the shades of 
death gather around you. In all probability, some of 



132 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

farther object in view, of seeing whether they 
could cross the ice on the coming day to 
attend the services of this place. Members 
of this congregation, this event speaks to you, 
and it says : improve your present privileges. 
Those voices, which were once blended in our 
services, will be heard no more on earth. 
The word of exhortation which you hear to- 
day may be the last. You have had many 
precious opportunities here ; they will not 
always continue. Year after year has many 
a one been spared as a fruitless tree; the 
order may soon go forth, ' Cut it down, why 
cumbereth it the ground ?' The Holy Spirit 
has been striving long with many in this 
house; 'Ephraim is joined to his idols, let 
him alone.' Man of business, the provi- 
dence speaks to you while deeply interested 
in the pursuit of earthly things, eager to 

us who are here to-day, wiH be called to die suddenly, 
and in a manner unlocked for, and that, too, before 
the close of the year upon which we have just entered. 
How unspeakably important, then, that we be in con- 
stant readiness, * since we know not the day nor the 
hour when the Son of man cometh.' " 



THE FUNERAL. 133 

amass that wealth that perishes with the 
using, and it says, 'What shall it profit a 
man, if he shall gain the whole world and 
lose his own soul?' Indifferent listener to 
these solemn truths, the word says : ' Strive 
to enter in at the strait gate, for many 
shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able.' 
The door of mercy which stands open to-day 
will soon be closed, never again to be opened. 
Young and thoughtless child of pleasure ! the 
Providence speaks to you, for you may be 
called away in the midst of your frivolity, 
from the scene of pleasure, to the bar of 

God. * * >}i >K >K * 

" And now, my dear young friends of the 
Sunday school, it is time I turn to you, for 
you have a particular interest in the event 
which has filled all our hearts with sadness. 
It is but a few days since I called your atten- 
tion to the fact that not a death had occurred 
in our school during the past year, and asked 
you then to unite with me in praising God for 
his sparing mercy. Scarcely have we en- 
tered upon the new year before our thanks- 
'12 



134 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

giving has been turned to lamentation, and 
yet in the midst of our sorrow we can rejoice, 
because your dear departed friend is happier 
than before. Is it not a fitting time that I 
should warn you all to beware of delay, that 
the world lose not the benefit of your youth- 
ful example, and your outward devotion to 
the cause of Christ. Is there one here halt- 
ing between two opinions, whether to serve 
God, or live for the world ! decide now ! 
What thou doest, do quickly. Is there an 
almost Christian here ? let him or her become 
one thing or another this very day. Dear 
children, should I stand here on another Sab- 
bath morning to speak of some sudden de- 
struction which had laid you in yonder grave- 
yard, what would you wish me to say of you ? 
We must depend upon what you do before 
death shall accomplish his work. How often 
have I rehearsed to you the words, ' Remem- 
ber now thy Creator in the days of thy 
youth.' ' Seek first the kingdom of God 
and his righteousness.' And should we not 
bless God in the midst of our sorrow, that we 



THE FUNERAL. 135 

can point to one of your own number who 
was a living exhibition of obedience to these 
commandsj now enjoying the love of Him 
whom she remembered in the days of her 
youth, and the full happiness of that king- 
dom which she early sought ? 

'' Could our dear Ellen break through that 
cloud of witnesses among which she is now 
numbered, with what emphasis would she 
speak to you^ her former companions, of a 
Saviour's love ! w^ould she regret her early 
choice, or wish herself for one moment back 
to the scenes of earth ? No ! Happy as 
she was here, — and you saw not one around 
you whose smile was sweeter, whose step was 
lighter, whose brow was less clouded by early 
care ; happy as she was, and none seemed 
happier, she would not exchange with you 
those glorious pleasures and that harp of gold, 
though she would welcome you to share her 
joys. Could she have spoken to you as you 
bent with tearful eye over her lifeless form, 
she would have said, ' Weep not for me, for 
I am happy, but weep for yourselves, and let 



136 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

the tears of penitence lead you to the Sa- 
viour, till you gain his peace.' That Saviour 
has taken her tender spirit to himself. It 
will suffer no rude shocks in this world of 
trial. She will sorrow no more in this vale 
of tears. Her spiritual harvest had been 
early ripening, and in God's own good ap- 
pointed time, he called her away, — it may be 
from trouble to come. For her we may say, 
in the triumphant language of the hymn — 

*' ^Go to the grave, in all thy glorious prime, 
In full activity of life and power ; 
A Christian cannot die before his time, 
The Lord'3 appointment is the servant's hour. 

*' ^ Go to the grave, for th^re the Saviour lay 
In death's embraces, ere he rose on high, 
And all the ransomed by that narrow way 
Pass to eternal life beyond the sky. 

^^ ^Go to the grave : No ! take thy seat above ; 
Be thy pure spirit present with the Lord : 
Where thou for faith and hope hast perfect love, 
And open vision for the written word.' " 

What more need be said to the youthful 
readers of this little narrative ? They have 



THE FUNERAL. 137 

followed Ellen from her early childliood, 
through her various stages of religious inte- 
rest — her deep awakening, her earnest strug- 
gles, her honest decision, her open profession 
of Christian discipleship in the rite of confir- 
mation, and her participation in the holy 
communion of the body and blood of Christ, 
through which she seemed strengthened and 
refreshed. They have witnessed her faithful 
walk and conversation as a Christian, and 
her strict fulfilment of all religious duties. 
Are not the same duties now pressing upon 
them? and how many of them have performed 
these duties? Let me come nearer to you, 
dear readers, as if you were now before me 
as my own flock. I urge you to make choice 
of Ellen's portion, for she hath chosen that 
good part which shall never be taken from 
her. Could you have seen her, you would 
have loved her as all others loved her, and 
you would have seen that religion was her 
chief delight, that it made her happy and 
gave a charm to all her intercourse. She 
was the faithful child in everything at home, 
12^ 



138 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

at the seminary, in the diurch and the Sun- 
day school, and you have seen something of 
her industry spread before you in these pages. 
What she accomplished, you can in a measure, 
at least, accomplish. Tou can examine your 
own hearts. You can read good books, and 
cease from wasting precious time in frivolous 
reading, and vain conversation. You can 
write your thoughts on paper, and spread 
them out in the presence of God. You can 
go to the throne of grace in prayer, for God 
has invited you to come, and your Saviour 
has taught you the way. The Sunday school 
is open for your instruction, and the church 
is ready to receive you and admit you to its 
solemn ordinances, as soon as you are pre- 
pared for them. Are you ready for all this, 
or are you making any advances to it ? And 
if not, are you ready to meet that death which 
came so suddenly to Ellen? Like her you 
may be called away in a moment, without 
one note of warning, but, like her, would you 
be prepared? Consider that her life of faith- 
fulness and piety is now speaking to you 



THE FUNERAL, 139 

through this little volume which you have 
read, and that her sudden death, which you 
have just reviewed, is warning you to be 
ready to meet your God. The Lord, through 
the means of a simple narrative of a child 
hardly four years of age, awakened Ellen to 
new thoughtfulness *of serious things, and 
showed her the possibility of early piety. 
May the same Lord who makes use in his infi- 
nite wisdom of such humble instrumentalities, 
bless the story of Ellen to your hearts, and 
lead you also to see that a child of thirteen 
can be a true and lovely Christian in full 
communion with the church, in the faithful 
performance of all the duties of life. If but 
one such child should thus be led by the 
Spirit, using this little work as a means, the 
writer would be much rewarded for his labour. 



CHAPTER XIL 

ELLEN AS A SCHOLAR. 

It has been thought best in a separate 
chapter to speak of Ellen as a scholar. Of 
her industry and faithfulness we have already 
spoken; but when we see what she accom- 
plished in her short life, it is difficult to see 
when she found the time in which to accom- 
plish it. We have also noticed the fact that 
she was lively, always ready for play with 
her young companions, and never refusing to 
go anywhere, or to do anything, unless hin- 
dered by that quick sense of duty. The time 
which she took for her religious duties, for 
her reading and prayer, for writing her va- 
rious meditations, and keeping her journal, 
was not small, and yet this detracted not from 



ELLEN AS A SCHOLAR. 141 

the hours which were necessarily devoted to 
the pressing studies of a large school, where 
some little of the spirit of emulation would 
be most certainly felt. But it proved in her 
case, as it has in the case of many an older 
student, that the mind calmed and prepared 
by the exercises of devotion for all its tasks, 
is in the best possible condition to pursue 
those studies which require close attention ; 
and the happy-hearted Christian, free from 
those passions that hinder true enjoyment, 
could engage with all readiness and ease in 
her innocent recreation. 

She was an excellent French scholar, 
having laid a good foundation for it under a 
superior teacher in this department, in the 
Wilkesbarre Academy, Miss Virginia Burke. 
She was at the time of her death pursuing 
Latin, and other studies, which will be allu- 
ded to in a letter from her teacher, to which 
we shall hereafter refer. She had made good 
progress in drawing and painting, many spe- 
cimens of which are in possession of the 
family, and without having what might be 



142 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

considered a decided taste for music, she yet, 
by her industry and perseverance, made good 
advances in it. It is a matter of wonder 
when she found time for all her numerous 
engagements, for everything was faithfully 
attended to ; and it seemed besides her regu- 
lar studies, her ornamental work, of which 
she had bestowed many specimens upon her 
friends ; besides her time devoted to religious 
reading and similar duties, she always had 
time to mingle with her companions in inno- 
cent enjoyment. It has been well said, 
" That life is long that answers life's great 
end;" and judged by this rule, Ellen's life 
was longer than the average, for every duty 
was faithfully performed, and the great end 
of life, — a preparation for heaven, — we have 
reason to believe, was fully accomplished. 

In addition to our notice of Ellen's scholar- 
ship, we insert a specimen of her ordinary 
school compositions. They exhibit nothing 
remarkable, but manifest a clear and thought- 
ful mind, through an easy flow of language. 



ELLEN AS A SCHOLAR. 143 



" TWILIGHT. 

" How sweet this calm hour to the pensive 
mind. How different from the bright and 
cheerful morning, but yet how pleasant. How 
calmly the mind sinks into the musing mood, 
and rests from the excitement of the busy 
scenes of day. Twilight is a season for re- 
flection. At this hour we may think over 
our actions, and form resolutions for the fu- 
ture. It gives a kind of pleasure to see the 
sun declining in the west, and to see the 
shades of evening gather over us. I love to 
see first the evening star, then another and 
another peep out from the sky. What still- 
ness reigns in the twilight hour. The birds 
have ceased from singing. The distant mur- 
muring of the brook is heard. The din and 
bustle of the day have ceased, and everything 
is still. This holy time ought to remind us 
of the twilight of life, when its lamp will have 
nearly ceased to burn, and old age will have 
come upon us. When musing at this hour 
we often think of distant friends separated 
from us perhaps by the vast ocean, who may 



144 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. ' 

at the very same moment be thinking of what 
we are doing, and as we gaze upon the even- 
ing star, or the rising moon, how pleasant to 
think that they, perhaps, are looking at the 
same objects. A very dear friend* once told 
me that he had often thought, in looking at 
the moon, of the fact that it was . the same 
moon that had shone on Abraham, Isaac, and 
Jacob, and all the prophets, and on every 
generation from that time to this. If we 
have a dear parent far away from us, how 
pleasant is it to think of that parent as we 
sit musing in the twilight. In summer this 
is a delightful hour. The days are then long, 
and there is some time between daylight and 
dark. In the family circle twilight is a time 
in which to talk over the events of the day, 
and such exercises seem suited to this time. 

^'Saturday, May 12tli, 1849." 

The following is very characteristic. 

" EMPLOYMENT OF TIME. 

''It has been well said by a celebrated 
■^ She here refers to her father. 



ELLEN AS A SCHOLAR. 145 

author that many persons lose two or three 
hours every day, for want of employing odd 
minutes. Pleasure and business occupy so 
large a portion of our time, that we ought in- 
dustriously to take advantage of every oppor- 
tunity we have, for serious and instructive 
study. If we would spend all our spare 
minutes in this manner, we would gain a 
great many advantages even in one year. 
When we consider how much time we have 
already wasted, and how profitably it might 
have been employed, we are frightened to 
think how much of our short existence is 
gone, never to return. The best amends we 
can make for the lost time is, to employ pro- 
fitably that which is left us. Time glides 
swiftly on, and, w^ith our best efforts, we can 
hardly keep up with it. I am sure that if 
we would reflect that every moment brings 
us nearer to death, when time will cease with 
us, it would lead us to redeem our time, and 
endeavour to grow every moment wiser and 
better. Regularity is necessary, if we would 
make the fullest and best use of our time. It 
13 



146 ELLEN MAY WOODWAED. 

is one of the talents intrusted to us by our 
Creator. If we have neither brilliant talents 
nor wealth, we still have time in which to im- 
prove ourselves, and prepare for usefulness 
in this life." 

The following, though of a somewhat diffe- 
rent character, may be admirably introduced. 
It shows an imaginative sprightliness among 
her mental manifestations, and it is by giving 
these various characteristics of light and shade 
that she is truly painted. 

" There is a romantic spot situated amongst 
the lowlands of Wyoming Valley, cool, and 
green as Calypso's grotto, surrounded by 
various groves which deepen as they extend 
into dark, thick woods, which have probably 
witnessed bloody scenes, and echoed to the 
war-whoop of the savage Indian. As you 
approach this fairy bower, you think you are 
strolling along on a wide extension of mea- 
dows, but as you suddenly turn, you observe 
a fruitful garden lying in silent loveliness, 



ELLEN AS A SCHOLAR. 147 

surrounded on three sides by a hedge of foli- 
age, which hides it completely from view, 
except on the side which you enter. Near 
this lovely spot a brook winds its peaceful 
way amongst trees and flowers, telling many 
a sad tale of former years. how I love to 
ramble around in this paradise, or muse under 
the shade of some lofty tree encircled by the 
luxuriant vine, as its graceful drapery nearly 
conceals the unsightly trunk; and then return 
from a ramble extended to the deepened shades 
of moonlight, to wander away in my dreams 
to still more enchanting spots, the resorts of 
the muses in their visits to our lower world. 
And now, is your curiosity excited to know 
where this wonderful spot is to be found, or 
whether it is only the creature of my fancy? 
I assure you that it has a veritable existence, 
and is no other than my father's Beet Patch!'' 

In speaking of Ellen's connexion with Wy- 
oming Seminary, it may be well to remark, 
that she was always ready to perform the 
various duties devolving upon her, either in 
the way of ordinary lessons, or in the occa- 



148 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

sional exhibitions. The last annual exhibition 
which she attended was during the period of 
her deep interest in religion, and just before 
the time appointed for the confirmation. She 
had often taken a part in these exercises, and 
was looked to on the approaching occasion, 
both by her teachers and her classmates, to 
contribute to the interest of that event. A 
colloquy had been proposed, which was to be 
written by the young ladies who took their 
part in it, and she had been invited to engage 
in it. The subject was one of much faithful 
inquiry on her part how far she could par- 
ticipate, in her present state of religious feel- 
ing. She opened her mind freely to Miss 
Deitz, the accomplished teacher in this de- 
partment, who fully appreciated Ellen's feel-, 
ings, and assured her that she need not take 
any part that she could not with perfect free- 
dom. The following plan, which was soon 
arranged, was accomplished on the day of 
exhibition, Wednesday, July 18th, 1849. A 
company of young ladies are seated around 
a table expressing to each other their mutual 



ELLEN AS A SCHOLAR. 149 

wishes for the future, and painting in the 
most glowing colours the life they would de- 
sire to live. Ellen is the last to express her 
preference, and we shall gain a correct idea 
of the whole scene from a reference to her 
part. It is mostly in her own language, with 
some additions which were made in preparing 
the colloquy for the exhibition. 

'' I am astonished at your wishes, girls ! 
Can you really think that you would be happy 
in the realization of such dreams ? For my 
part, I cannot see what there is in the posses- 
sion of power so fascinating, that one would 
wish to encounter the dangers and snares of 
royalty, and bear the responsibilities of a 
queen ; not to speak of the low, contempti- 
ble ambition of wishing to rule the hearts of 
vain and fickle men; for who but the vain 
and Aveak-minded ever worshipped mere 
beauty ? 

''But the acquisition and possession of 
wealth, this is the sum total of human happi- 
ness, the acme of human enjoyment ! Helen ! 
I should blush to own that such a sentiment 
13^ 



150 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

had place in my heart. Surely, of all the 
altars on which the human heart was ever 
laid, the most unworthy is the shrine of Mam- 
mon. What holy sympathy, what heaven- 
born principle is not annihilated at its wither- 
ing touch ! 

''As for being a poetess, I see nothing so 
very enviable in such a lot. True, there 
might be happiness in awakening intellectual 
and spiritual joy in other bosoms ; in breath- 
ing o'er the world pure spiritual incense ; yet 
how sadly true is the sentiment expressed by 
one of their number, that only 

** * Flowers by careless footsteps crushed, 
Thus their sweets surrender. ' 

''Nor can I exactly approve of Ruth's 
choice ; though I confess I admire the wild 
simplicity of the Indian maiden ; yet who 
would willingly forego the blessings of civi- 
lized life, its social joys, refinement of taste, 
intellectual pleasures, and above all, the 
knowledge gained by revelation of our great 
and good Creator, and the pure, happy home 



ELLEN AS A SCHOLAR. 151 

which he has made attainable ? Who would 
exchange all these for the ignorance and 
errors of the child of nature, and his blind 
worship of the unknown God? 

" Though it would be pleasant to travel on 
a laudable enterprise, if undertaken for the 
sake of gaining and imparting knowledge, 
yet to roam over the w^orld merely in search 
of our own pleasure, without seeking to make 
others happy, to diminish the sum of human 
sorrow, or brighten and cheer the earth by 
acts of kindness, seems a lot too selfish to 
be sought." 

She is here interrupted by a question from 
some one of the company: "Tell us now 
your wish, Ellen ! what would you be ?'' 

'^I would be a simple-hearted cottage girl, 
reared amid rural shades and the endear- 
ments of home. Undazzled by splendour 
and the pomp and pride of passion, I would 
inhabit a quiet home, where the loved and 
loving dwell. I would w^ish a heart uncor- 
rupted and pure, overflowing with warm and 
generous affection, the home of every tender 



152 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

and gentle emotion ; a heart that would fill 
with joy when those I loved were happy, and 
heave with sorrow when their souls were sad. 
I would wish to be the dutiful and affectionate 
childj the loving sister, and the faithful friend. 
I would wish, with a generous, happy spirit, 
to use the means kind Providence may be- 
stow upon me, for the relief of the needy and 
distressed, and the promotion of piety and 
peace. Above all, I would wish to possess 
an humble heart, and a contented mind." 

This was the truthful expression of Ellen's 
own heart. It was felt to be such by all who 
knew her. The writer well remembers the 
scene, as he watched this lamb of his flock 
fulfilling the different duties of a public exhi- 
bition, from which her own modesty would 
have shrunk, had it not been duty. But this 
was not the end. In accordance with the 
plan at this stage, a gipsey fortune-teller ap- 
pears among them, and asks them in turn if 
they desire to know their future history. 
They each assent, and their fortune is de- 
clared, until Ellen is appealed to. She imme- 



ELLEN AS A SCHOLAR. 153 

diately objects, from her conscientious aver- 
sion to the custom, and yet the fortune-teller, 
as she departs, utters the following lines, 
which seem, from the circumstances which 
have since transpired, to wear an almost pro- 
phetic aspect : 

**In thy future lot I know 

There is happiness portrayed; 
For the quiet on thy brow, 

And the blue eye's deepened shade, 
Say no dark, wild passions move 

Thy pure spirit's gentle love. 

** Vain ambition haunts thee not 
"With his fleeting shadow — Fame ; 

And thou seek'st not fortune's lot, 

Wealth's bright treasure, grandeur's name: 

Dearer far to thee a home 

Where these phantoms never come. 

*' And thou wilt not roam afar 

For the bliss thy sisters crave ; 
For thou know'st true bliss a star, 

Beaming but beyond the grave ; 
That mere earth-born pleasures are 

But the meteor's fitful glare. 

*' Round thy cottage home shall twine 
Every dear domestic joy, 



154 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

And the home-born pleasures thine, 
Time and change shall not destroy. 

And thy pleasant journey run, 
Thou u'ilt pass from earth away, 

But, as sinks the summer^ s sun, 
To a brighter, fresher dayy 

This is a beautiful tribute to that honesty 
and truthfulness to which we have so often 
advertedj and it is valuable as coming from 
her young companions, showing that they 
appreciated her character. She was always 
a favourite with them, and they were ever 
ready to accord her her true place. She thus 
appears always the same. Her consistent 
Christian character shone out among all the 
exercises of school as well as at home, and 
now she has passed away, we love to dwell 
upon incidents, simple even as the present, 
which throw light upon her character. This 
exhibition was held in a grove near the semi- 
nary, and at the close of the exercises for the 
day Judge Woodward delivered the annual 
address. 



CHAPTER XIIL 

LETTERS OF CONDOLENCE. 

We can only select a few from among the 
many letters of condolence which flowed in 
from every quarter, and such as have more 
particular reference to Ellen's character o^r 
scholarship. The following is from the Rev. 
R. Nelson, the Principal of the ''Wyoming 
Seminary," Kingston. 

^' My dear Mr. and Mrs. Woodward : — 

"While your hearts are wrung with anguish 
by the mournful calamity which has befallen 
your household, removing from among the 
living, by a single blow, three lovely girls, 
you are not left to suffer alone in your pain- 
ful bereavement. The large circle of your 



156 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

friends, yea the entire community, are in 
deepest sympathy with you, and eager to 
contribute their utmost to assuage your bitter 
grief, and alleviate the crushing weight of 
sorrow which now rests so heavily upon you. 

" The death of your own dear Ellen, who 
sustained the interesting relation to us of 
pupil, has filled the hearts of all her teachers 
with deepest sorrow. For though some of 
us have been many years engaged in teach- 
ing, yet never have we had under our care a 
pupil, who had become so closely entwined 
around omr hearts. But pardon me for al- 
luding here to my own grief and that of my 
associate teachers, which ought to be lost 
sight of in view of the anguish of yourselves 
and family, who sustained to her a relation 
so much nearer and dearer. 

^^How unspeakably valuable to you now are 
the doctrines and hopes of Christianity ! How 
infinitely superior to the teachings of worldly 
philosophy] They do not, like the latter, 
strive to extinguish our natural feelings at 
the loss of friends, but they soften, increase 



LETTERS OF CONDOLENCE. 157 

and sweeten the sensibilities of the heart, 
and at the same time, so elevate the mind as 
to cheer us amidst all our sorrows, and enable 
us in thought to follow our ascended friends 
into that Paradise which they have entered. 

^'The ancients used to say that 'whom 
the gods love, die young,' and under circum- 
stances like yours, they sought to draw from 
the sentiment the expressed consolation for 
their wounded hearts, but to you is given a more 
full word of promise. For if we believe that 
Jesus died and rose again, even so, those, also, 
who sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 
And that your loved daughter now sleeps in 
Jesus, there exists not the shadow of a doubt, 
for her piety bore every mark of genuineness 
and consistency. 

''While the brothers and sisters of Ellen, 
with other associates, will love to retain the 
memory of her good qualities, and ever bear 
on the tablet of the mind the picture of her 
life, so eminently characterized by goodness, 
tenderness, and regard for the feelings of 
others, and by a conscientious observance of 
14 



158 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

religious duties, may they, like her, early be- 
come the subjects of God's forgiving mercy, 
and renewing grace ; for they cannot but feel 
themselves most solemnly admonished, ' that 
in the midst of life, we are in death.' 

"To speak in this connexion of the many., 
excellencies of Ellen, may not tend to dimi- ' 
nish your sorrow, yet I cannot forbear allud- 
ing to some of them, for they are indelibly 
imprinted on my mind and heart. I express 
the sentiments of my associate teachers of 
the seminary as well as of myself, when I 
assure you that we never had a pupil in whom 
we have been so deeply interested. There 
was a gracefulness and dignity in her person, 
an intelligence and sweetness in the expres- 
sion of her countenance, a warm affection, a 
deep sincerity, and a surpassing moral good- 
ness, that have rendered the relation she 
sustained to us, one of hallowed recollection. 

^' Her mind as well as mental qualities were 
of the highest order. She was always emi- 
nently conscientious and desirous to do right. 
If at any time during the exuberance of her 



I 



LETTERS OF CONDOLENCE. 159 

happy feelings and flow of youthful spirits, 
she chanced to say or do aught that in her 
estimation had the semblance of wrong, she 
always embraced the first opportunity to make 
amends for it, and to beg that it might be 
overlooked, frequently writing bitter things 
against herself, when neither her teachers nor 
any one else had observed in her the least 
impropriety. 

"As a student, I have never known her 
equal. The preparation of her lessons was 
always critical and thorough, evincing a ma- 
turity of judgment, and a depth of research, 
which I have never witnessed in a pupil at 
her age. It seemed constantly to be her de- 
sire to learn well whatever she undertook to 
learn ; and manifestly, the same thorough- 
ness characterized the prosecution of her 
early studies, as marked those she pursued 
while at the Seminary ; for in all the ele- 
mentary branches of a good education she was 
uncommonly well versed, and, moreover, pos- 
sessed a fund of general information far be- 
yond her years. 



160 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

^^In mathematics, French, and Latin her 
recitations were always interesting and gra- 
tifying to her teachers. Her translations of 
Racine, L'Allemagne, and Virgil invariably 
brought out the sense and beauty of the ori- 
ginal, in a manner seldom equalled by older 
students. 

"In music, as well as in drawing and paint- 
ing, her excellent progress gave great pro- 
mise of future proficiency in those branches 
of study. Unlike most young persons, she 
possessed a remarkable aptitude for all her 
various studies, and prosecuting them with a 
uniform pleasure and success, gave proof that 
she possessed not only a strong but a well- 
balanced mind. 

"Allow me, in conclusion, to assure you of 
my prayer, and confident trust, that He who 
has wounded will bind up and soothe your 
bleeding hearts, granting unto you in your 
most painful bereavement the rich consola- 
tion of his grace. 

" Yours, truly, in Christian sympathy, 
^ " R. Nelson. 

"Wyoming Seminary, January 22, 1850." 



LETTERS OF CONDOLENCE. 161 

The following was received from the Rev. 
Dr. Claxtorij a former Rector of St. Stephen's 
Church, whose particularly faithful instruc- 
tions were much blessed, not only to Ellen, 
but to the children of the Sunday school 
generally. 

It will be seen that its references are inte- 
resting, as substantiating some things which 
have been previously detailed in the narrative. 

"Madison, Indiana, January 30th, 1850. 

"My dear Judge and Mrs. Woodward: 

" Could I have been with you last week, I 
do not know that I could have done otherwise 
than did the three friends of Job, when they 
sat down by his side, and, by a silence far 
more expressive than words, showed the depth 
of their sympathy with him in his sorrows. 
Who but the One Comforter could speak at 
such a time, so as to soothe the agonized 
heart? Here in the far-off West, the tidings 
came upon me as a thunderbolt, and for a 
time I would not suffer my mind to credit 
14^ 



162 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

the report whicli the telegraph brought us. 
Even whilst there was the relief of hoping 
that the intelligence was false, I found it 
hard to restrain at all my feelings ; but yes- 
terday's mail brought us the confirmation of 
my worst fears. My Ellen — surely she was 
as dear to me as if she had been a brother's 
child! With almost every pleasant recollec- 
tion that I have of Wilkes-barre, your house 
and your family are associated. There I 
spent so many of my happiest hours, and from 
Ellen I was always sure of a look and smile, 
if not of words of welcome. 

I see her now as the pure-hearted child 
that almost ten years ago prattled with me 
as she sat on my knee. I see her in the 
Sunday school, — so full of inquiring thought- 
fulness and of quick intelligence. I see her 
in the little Sunday evening circle, as your 
pupil. I think of her as the child of such 
rare conscientiousness; the truth-loving, sin- 
fearing child: bearing an almost unmistake- 
able impress of an early work of Divine grace. 
I think of her as I saw her last, almost three 



LETTERS OF CONDOLENCE. 163 

years ago: still a child, but ripening, as I 
thought, for womanhood, but, as God thought, 
for heaven. I think of her as Mrs. C. had 
been describing her since her return: as so 
cheerful, so sprightly, so intelligent, so truth- 
ful, so loving, so worthy of love : and, best of 
all, as a child of God, who had taken on her- 
self her baptismal vows, just ready to enter 
on the full communion of Christ's visible 
church here. But then what a change ! I 
know not how to think of her in the surprise, 
the alarm, the terror, the agony of her sud- 
den summons. I would not think of her as 
mortal — save to think of her immortality. 
The Saviour who loved her and died for her 
— the Saviour she loved — is one Grod; the 
God of providence as well as of redemption; 
and without Him, and ' without our Father,' 
as not a sparrow falls, so no circumstance 
affecting one of his children can occur. He 
was as near her, as near in his love and his 
grace in that hour, as though her head had 
been resting on her mother's breast, and her 
life had been breathed out in the repose and 



164 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

quiet of the sick and dying chamber. I would 
rather think of her as she is: as the glass of ;- 
God's precious promises shows her to the eye 
of faith, when that eye is not too much 
dimmed with the tears of natural sorrow : as 
amongst those virgins ' that follow the Lamb 
whithersoever he goeth/ ^that have washed 
their robes and made them white in the blood 
of the Lamb;' and that ^walk with Him in 
white/ for they, through his grace, ' are wor- 
thy.' My dear, smitten friends, thus see 
your first-born daughter ; and say, is it not 
well ? What has she not escaped, that might 
have befallen her had her life been much pro- 
longed in what God's spirit calls this ' vale of 
misery?' Why should we so grieve when 
one who had assumed the pilgrim's garb 
reaches home^ borne thither speedily by an- 
gelic hands, instead of toiling through a long 
and weary pilgrimage? Why should you 
hesitate to give back that priceless treasure 
to Him who had loaned it to you, when his 
love in bestowing such a gift, with all the 
comfort you had derived therefrom during 



LETTERS OF CONDOLENCE. 166 

SO many years, calls rather for your grati- 
tude? 

'' I think you do not unduly grieve. Flesh 
and blood, things of time and sense, earthy in 
all its varied stores, have no halm for such 
sorrows as yours. But He that hath torn is 
He that healeth you. He that hath smitten 
will, with his own gracious hand, bind up 
your broken spirits. The afflictions that 
make the worldling chafe and fret, and, it 
may be, even curse his God, are the very 
means that God's spirit employs to bring 
those who love the Saviour into nearer, 
sw^eeter communion with Him. You remem- 
ber, perhaps, Herbert's lines, — 

*^ * Affliction, then, is ours. 
We are the trees whom shaking /«5^ews more. 
While blust'ring winds destroy the wanton bowers, 
And ruffle all their curious knots and store. 

My God! so temper joy and wo, 
That thy bright beams may tame thy bow.' 

^^I have not spoken of Ann B , not be- 
cause I did not love her, but because Ellen 



166 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

was naturally more dear to me, and much 
more to you. Oh ! how I rejoice to learn 
that she as well as Ellen had chosen the bet- 
ter part, and was ready for the sudden call. 
May God comfort her stricken relatives and 
friends. Remember me most kindly to them 
all. May their afflictions be abundantly sanc- 
tified to them. 

^^Mrs. Claxton joins me in most sym- 
pathizing and afi*ectionate remembrances. 

" Tours in a common salvation, 

"R. Bethell Claxton." 

The following letter was received from 
Miss Catharine L. Burke, a teacher in St. 
Mary's Hall, Burlington, New Jersey, for- 
merly a teacher in the academy in Wilkes- 
barre. 

**St. Mary's Hall, January 29tli, 1850. 

" My very dear Friends :— 

" The appalling dispensation under which 
your hearts are crushed, is too sad, too sud- 
den, too overwhelming, to permit me to ad- 



LETTERS OF CONDOLENCE. 167 

dress you without a feeling of awe and 
trembling hesitation. To intrude the com- 
mon-places of condolence upon the bereaved 
parents of such a child, under such circum- 
stances, seems worse than futile. All that I 
can attempt is to offer you, in sincere affection, 
my heartfelt sympathy, and to express my 
deepest sorrow. Resignation to the decrees 
of the great Ruler of the universe is our 
duty ; but the ties which he has implanted 
are holy, and their strength in the hour of 
trial must be acknowledged. God blessed 
you, and you were grateful. He has smitten 
you to the earth, and you must suffer. The 
power of that religion which you have for so 
many years adorned, is put to a fearful test. 
But the everlasting arm will bear you up. 
' God is our refuge and strength, a very pre- 
sent 'help in trouble.' Faith in his mercy 
can alone sustain you in the first agonies of 
grief; time alone can alleviate its poignancy. 
^' The loss of the faithful Ann Butler, who 
was so incorporated with your family as to 
claim and possess the affection of a relative, 



168 ELLEN MAY WOODWAKD. 

would have been grievous, and the death of 
an interesting guest, the daughter of a- 
widowed mother, deeply deplorable ; but the 
sacrifice of the life of your dearest, holiest 
child, is a calamity too dreadful to realize. 
On the very threshold of life, surrounded by 
every blessing that could make existence de- 
sirable, before one prospect had been dimmed, 
or one hope blighted, she has been taken from 
the ^ evil to come,' for evil must come to all 
who continue from youth to age. Her life 
was brief, but full of happiness, and we al- 
most feel that she was translated, for ' God 
took her.' 

"- None know better than myself the price- 
less value of that jewel which has been 
snatched from you to adorn a brighter sphere. 
On her virtues and her gifts I have fre- 
quently dwelt to you both. Purity and truth, 
dignity and spotless innocence, depth of feel- 
ing and power of intellect united, form a 
character ' as beautiful as rare, as rare as 
beautiful;' and which shone forth in its 
brightest lustre in that last, dread scene, 



LETTERS OF CONDOLENCE. 169 

when, with a self-possession almost unparal- 
leled, she rose superior to fear and conster- 
nation, and, calmly directing her dismayed 
sisters what to do, sacrificed her own life in 
the effort to save her friends. What in the 
records of humanity can surpass this? What 
brighter, holier manifestation could there be 
of the concentrated energies, the ennobling 
virtues of her character ? Her life was beau- 
tiful, — but its closing scene was refulgent 
with heroic piety. She has passed away, 
and the memory of her virtues, while it adds 
to your profound sorrow, will be a balm to 
your bleeding hearts. 

" Were I to say what I thought her most 
distinguishing character, I should say truth- 
fulness^ — truthfulness in everything. She 
feigned nothing. Reality was in every act, 
feeling, and thought, and her mind possessed 
a power of patient investigation, and an 
earnestness of purpose given but rarely to 
her sex. She never glanced over a subject 
and then dismissed it imperfectly compre- 
hended. She listened and looked when re- 
15 



170 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

ceiving instruction as if her mind was taking 
in all she heard, and moulding it in its own 
peculiar form. 

^' I recollect that on the first day I saw the 
pupils assembled, my eye rested on Ellen, and 
I was struck with the depth of her expres- 
sion, and I formed a high opinion of her cha- 
racter ; and from the first hour to the last, 
during two years' intercourse in the trying 
relation of teacher and pupil, she was ever 
the same lovely being. 

"Her dislike to praise was remarkable. 
Her docility, propriety, and accuracy would 
frequently elicit my warmest approbation, and 
I felt disposed to caress her, and show my pre- 
ference ; but she would ever avoid it, fearful 
of hurting the feelings of others. In her 
class she was^ perfectly quiet, never spoke 
until she was appealed to, and then with the 
utmost modesty, accuracy, and deliberation. 
No eagerness to show her proficiency or supe- 
riority over others would be seen. 

''My sister (Miss Virginia Burke) writes 
the following with regard to your daughter : 



LETTERS OF CONDOLENCE. 171 

' Ellen was so retiring, so unobtrusive in her 
nature, that few out of her family circle or 
her intimate playmates can recall anything 
more than the usual, even tenor of her way. 
Her character made itself felt, and impressed 
itself upon our minds, we can scarcely say 
how. Other children are often good, amiable 
and submissive ; but in her you felt that there 
was something more noble and elevated than 
usually falls to the lot of humanity. I can 
remember nothing more vividly than her 
manner when recalling something that had 
slipped from her memory. For a few mo- 
menta she appeared totally absorbed, insen- 
sible to all external objects, and her whole 
countenance indicated the earnest search she 
was making in the inmost recesses of thought 
to find what she had lost, and she was inva- 
riably successful in bringing it forth, with her 
usual clearness and correctness.' 

" I have extracted this from my sister's let- 
ter, that you may know the estimate in which 
she held the character of your dear lost Ellen. 
'Not lost J but gone before,' where she waits to 



172 ELLEN MAY WOODWARD. 

welcome you to scenes of happiness that can 
know no change. 

" With my kind regards for the other mem- 
bers of your family, accept for yourselves the 
warmest sympathy, and unutterable esteem 
of your friend, 

" Catharine L. Burke,'' 

The following lines, written by a young 
lady of Centre County, Pa., were published 
in the Episcopal Recorder : — 

'* Inscribed to the Hon. G. W. Woodward. 
"In memory of Ellen M. Woodward, Miss Benner, and 
Miss Butler, who were drowned together, January 
19, 1850, near Wilkes-barre, Pa. 

*"Tis Yery sad to weep and wake 

Beside the severing tie. 
To woo in vain the shadows back 

That dim the loving eye. 
But sadder far, to see the blight 

Of undeparted bloom. 
That left no track from day to night, 

From spring-time to the tomb. 

*' Thus to this gentle trio came 
The angel of the grave, 



LETTERS OF CONDOLENCE. 173 

Quenched with, a look the vital flame, 

And chilled the purple wave ; 
And drinking quick the precious breath, 

He left his task abroad 
To bear th' unfaded wreath to Death, 

The spotless gems to God. 

*<This is the balm to bleeding love 

In life's dear purpose crossed ; 
The shrouded here, are winged above — 

The loved, but not the lost! 
The smile of Heaven had early won 

Each heart from earth away. 
And death was but the sudden dawn 

Of everlasting day. 

*'Thou, Ellen, in thy childhood bright. 

The world but little trod ; 
Hadst turned from earth's delusive light, 

To yield thy heart to God ; 
An opening flower, that caught the hue 

Of Heaven's refulgent dyes. 
And, dripping with the morning dew, 

Was gathered to the skies. 

*< 'Twere sweet to have thee bloom in time ; 

But sweeter far to thee 
To pour thy fragrance in the shrine 

Of immortality. 

15* 



174 ELLEN MAY WOODWAED. 

Where blossoms close not from the night, 
Nor dread the storm to come ; 

The noonday heat, and evening blight 
Are far beneath thy home. 

*'This tale o'er many a soul will hang 

In shadows for a day ; 
But there are hearts from which the pang 

Will pass no more away ; 
Hearts that in after years will beat, 

E'en as to-night in pain, 
And hear in dreams the coming feet, 

That ne'er shall come again. 

*' God help the mother in her grief, 

The father in his wo ! 
The hand alone can give relief 

That measured out the blow. 
Thy blessing on each lonely hearth ; 

And grant the spirits riven, 
That loved and severed here on earth, 

May meet and love in heaven ! 

" Feb. nth, 1850." 



THE END. 



ERRATA. 

Page 19, eighth line from top, for " adieu," read " adieus." 

Page 57, seventh line from bottom, for " working," read " wash- 
ing." 

Page 103, eighth line from bottom, for '- more hope," read •' better 
hopes." 

Page 146, seventh line from top, for "admirably," read "appro- 
priately." 

Pages 141. 165, 170, 172, for "Miss Virginia or Miss Catharine 
Burke," read " Miss Yirginia or Miss Catharine Brooke." 

Page 168, fourth line from bottom, for "united, form," read 
" united to form." 



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